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