@†:-~¨,,.. ..,,¨~-:†@
*;-,¨,..¨¨ ¨¨..,¨,-;*
;~.¨¨,¨¨¨. .¨¨¨,¨¨.~;
»,,¨...¨.. ..¨...¨,,»
..,,,,¨¨,. .,¨¨,,,,..
,...¨.¨,,¨ 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. ¨,.¨.,.¨¨.
,¨¨¨,,...¨ ¨...,,¨¨¨,
,,.,¨,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,¨,.,,
¨¨.,..¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨..,.¨¨
:,,,¨.¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨.¨,,,:
~,,,..,.,¨ ¨,.,..,,,~
;~,,..,.., ,..,..,,~;