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