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