%†~,¨,.... ....,¨,~†%
$^;-..,¨., ,.¨,..-;^$
£*†^~~,¨,¨ ¨,¨,~~^†*£
#£§$*«^¨,. .,¨^«*$§£#
#@§*%^-^¨¨ ¨¨^-^%*§@#
#@#§%^*-^¨ 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 ,¨,~=§%§##
###&$%\~,, she is worried and wants me to ,,~\%$&###
#¶£$†;-^.¨ throw it away. ¨.^-;†$£¶#
£&£=^»-¨.¨ ¨.¨-»^=£&£
@¤%:-,¨¨., ,.¨¨,-:%¤@
%%†-~.¨¨,. .,¨¨.~-†%%
*=»,..¨.., ,..¨..,»=*
\~,....¨¨, ,¨¨....,~\
=~,,,,,¨,. .,¨,,,,,~=