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