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