:=.¨,¨...¨ ¨...¨,¨.=:
**»:,.,¨.. ..¨,.,:»**
&$†~.,¨¨., ,.¨¨,.~†$&
#$=;«-..., ,...-«;=$#
@@$†=-,,,, ,,,,-=†$@@
##@%%*«,¨. 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. ¨.¨^-^=£##
¶@**=:,¨,, ,,¨,:=**@¶
£†*~:¨,..¨ ¨..,¨:~*†£
=†~^,...,, ,,...,^~†=
=~,.¨¨¨,., ,.,¨¨¨.,~=
«:.¨,¨..,, ,,..¨,¨.:«
:.¨.¨,,,,, ,,,,,¨.¨.: