,,,.¨.,,¨¨ ¨¨,,.¨.,,,
....,¨..¨, ,¨..¨,....
,,.,..,,., ,.,,..,.,,
¨¨..¨¨¨.,. .,.¨¨¨..¨¨
¨..,,¨,.,. .,.,¨,,..¨
¨¨,,,,,,.¨ 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. ¨,¨,.¨¨,,-
~~..,,.¨.. ..¨.,,..~~
\«~.....¨, ,¨.....~«\
*/=-¨,,¨., ,.¨,,¨-=/*
$=*-:,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,:-*=$
#**:»,¨.¨. .¨.¨,»:**#
@#§%;~^... ...^~;%§#@