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