^,..¨,,.,, ,,.,,¨..,^
~~,.¨,,.., ,..,,¨.,~~
^~,.,,¨.¨. .¨.¨,,.,~^
§/=-.,,.., ,..,,.-=/§
£$*«-.,.¨¨ ¨¨.,.-«*$£
&£$=»-,,., statuette ,.,,-»=$£&
##£*^=,,,. .,,,=^*£##
##@$*†»^,, £@£%£@$§£*$£%%$$««~~»~=~§&&£$$*££&$$&££% ,,^»†*$@##
##@@%%*~,. &@¤££@£¤£ .,~*%%@@##
#@§§*/«,.. ..,«/*§§@#
#&&§*-~... forests around my childhood home. thick ...~-*§&&#
£$%:»^,,¨, 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. ..,¨¨,..¨,
.,.,¨.¨... ...¨.¨,.,.
,,...,,¨.. ..¨,,...,,
,,,,¨¨,¨,. .,¨,¨¨,,,,
¨.,.,.¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨.,.,.¨
,,,,¨,,... ...,,¨,,,,
,..,,...¨, ,¨...,,..,