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