*;«^¨...¨¨ ¨¨...¨^«;*
;~:.,¨..¨. .¨..¨,.:~;
«^.¨¨,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,¨¨.^«
^.,.,¨,.., ,..,¨,.,.^
,¨,¨,.¨,¨. .¨,¨.,¨,¨,
..¨.¨,¨.,¨ 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 .,,,¨,-=§&
$=«,¨¨.¨¨, throw it away. ,¨¨.¨¨,«=$
;=:,,,..,¨ ¨,..,,,:=;
-,..,.,¨¨. .¨¨,.,..,-
:,...¨.,¨. .¨,.¨...,:
¨.,,,¨,,.. ..,,¨,,,.¨
-..¨...... ......¨..-
»,,,¨..,.¨ ¨.,..¨,,,»