#¤%^~^.,.¨ ¨.,.^~^%¤#
**:«-¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨-«:**
$/=~.,.¨., ,.¨.,.~=/$
†»-¨...¨., ,.¨...¨-»†
«~,,,¨.¨.¨ ¨.¨.¨,,,~«
.,¨¨.,.,¨¨ statuette ¨¨,.,.¨¨,.
..¨¨¨¨..¨. .¨..¨¨¨¨..
¨...¨,¨,.. £*$£@@*%$$@¤*$£¤=~»~-~~«$£%$££§&%$*¤£@%£ ..,¨,¨...¨
,,,..¨,,.¨ %¤§¤&@*@$ ¨.,,¨..,,,
..¨,,,..., ,...,,,¨..
,,¨..,,,., forests around my childhood home. thick ,.,,,..¨,,
~.,¨¨..¨.. pine arcades that were planted and ..¨..¨¨,.~
»-,¨.¨.¨.. forgotten. wild boars roaming ..¨.¨.¨,-»
†=~,..,.,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,.,..,~=†
==«~,¨,¨.. is dark and moist, the canopy having ..¨,¨,~«==
&=^«-,,,,. already soaked up all the sun. .,,,,-«^=&
&%§\=,,¨¨, ,¨¨,,=\§%&
#¤&==~-,¨¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨¨,-~==&¤#
#@&*§/«-.. to west, getting broader and deeper and ..-«/§*&@#
#@#¤%*/«.. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ..«/*%¤#@#
@£@%†^»~,, where the pine hands start to let ,,~»^†%@£@
@@%*^=.¨¨¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨¨¨.=^*%@@
#@†\=,..,, river bed. ,,..,=\†@#
¤**--¨,¨.. ..¨,¨--**¤
%=-,...,,¨ = ¨,,...,-=%
*»,¨¨,,¨,, ,,¨,,¨¨,»*
=:¨.¨.,¨,. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .,¨,.¨.¨:=
.¨¨..,.,., they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,.,.,..¨¨.
.,,..,¨.¨. water, stone rings and floating moss. .¨.¨,..,,.
...¨¨¨,.., you could've found me wallowing around ,..,¨¨¨...
....,.,,.. on the southern shores until i got ..,,.,....
..,..,,... bitten. ...,,..,..
..,¨¨,,.., ,..,,¨¨,..
,¨.¨,¨¨... but now i'm further back, on solid ...¨¨,¨.¨,
»^,¨,¨.¨¨. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .¨¨.¨,¨,^»
*~-,.¨¨.,, orange tin radio and a translucent ,,.¨¨.,-~*
=;»^,¨.,¨¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨¨,.¨,^»;=
%§^~:.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.:~^§%
&$%;=,,... = ...,,=;%$&
£#§*†»-.¨, ,¨.-»†*§#£
##¤¤%/--., somethings moving in the grass. it's ,.--/%¤¤##
##£¤¤=*~,¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨,~*=¤¤£##
#@@¤§/-~,, through the ground just how large it is. ,,~-/§¤@@#
@¤£=:»-.¨¨ ¨¨.-»:=£¤@
§@§;-~,,,. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying .,,,~-;§@§
%§^«~.,¨,¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨,¨,.~«^§%
^:~-¨.,¨¨¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨¨¨,.¨-~:^
†»:.,¨¨¨.¨ hands, who are busy putting things in ¨.¨¨¨,.:»†
-~.¨.,¨,¨, my pockets. ,¨,¨,.¨.~-
,.,,,,¨,¨. .¨,¨,,,,.,
¨.¨,¨¨¨.., then i run east toward my home. ,..¨¨¨,¨.¨
,,..,,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,,..,,
.,,,.,,,¨. ^ .¨,,,.,,,.
.¨.¨¨.¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨.¨¨.¨.
¨.¨,.,.,¨¨ i am not followed, and slow down in the ¨¨,.,.,¨.¨
-....,.¨¨¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨¨¨.,....-
=..,..,.¨¨ the house, not yet really in the ¨¨.,..,..=
=»..,¨,.¨. backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my .¨.,¨,..»=
§=-^¨.,..¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨..,.¨^-=§
§%;~~,¨¨,. clay figure i've never seen before. it .,¨¨,~~;%§
&£%\»~.,.. must have been laying in the wet dirt, ..,.~»\%£&
@¤&$†«~,¨, and i must've picked it up with my ,¨,~«†$&¤@
@#¤@%\~,.¨ other belongings. ¨.,~\%@¤#@
##¶#$§=~~, ,~~=§$#¶##
@¶£¤%;~:,, it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ,,:~;%¤£¶@
¶&*%:«~,.. on her stomach, feet in the air, ..,~«:%*&¶
£$$=~:¨,.. roughly seven centimeters long. it's ..,¨:~=$$£
**:~....¨¨ freshly made, not yet completely dried. ¨¨....~:**
§:«~¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨~«:§
;~^.,..,., my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,.,..,.^~;
~,..,.,... particle board for it to dry on, but ...,.,..,~
:,,.¨..,,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,,..¨.,,:
.,¨¨.,,.,, throw it away. ,,.,,.¨¨,.
¨¨¨¨.¨.,,. .,,.¨.¨¨¨¨
,..,¨¨,... ...,¨¨,..,
.¨¨,..¨... ...¨..,¨¨.
,.¨.¨¨.¨.. ..¨.¨¨.¨.,
...,¨¨.,,, ,,,.¨¨,...
«~¨,¨,.,,. .,,.,¨,¨~«