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