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