¶&£\~.¨¨¨. .¨¨¨.~\£&¶
@@§%^-,,¨. .¨,,-^%§@@
#@¶§*\~^,. .,^~\*§¶@#
###¶&%:=,, ,,=:%&¶###
##@£$*»-,¨ ¨,-»*$£@##
@@§$†-~,., statuette ,.,~-†$§@@
¶#£:~,,¨,. .,¨,,~:£#¶
@§^~,,,¨¨, %$%@$&%@£¤%%$¤§£«=«»~~«»£*@$&£¤%¤%¤%¤&£& ,¨¨,,,~^§@
$†«,...¨¨. %£@$%£$$£ .¨¨...,«†$
^~-,¨¨,... ...,¨¨,-~^
~:¨,,.,,,. 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. .¨¨¨,~\£##
§&\--¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨--\&§
&/»-,¨,..¨ ¨..,¨,-»/&
==:¨¨.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.¨¨:==
-..,,,..,¨ ¨,..,,,..-
.,,.,¨,,,. .,,,¨,.,,.
.¨¨.¨¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨¨.¨¨.