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