»¨..,¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨,..¨»
^~..,¨,,.¨ ¨.,,¨,..~^
^/~,...,,. .,,...,~/^
£^^«...,,, ,,,...«^^£
@&*=«,¨,¨. .¨,¨,«=*&@
@&£†^»,¨., 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. ,¨.¨.«†%*@
£§==¨¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨¨==§£
^*~¨.¨¨¨,. .,¨¨¨.¨~*^
*=..¨,,.¨. .¨.,,¨..=*
«¨¨¨¨¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨¨¨¨¨«
.,,.,..,¨¨ ¨¨,..,.,,.
.¨,.,¨..., ,...¨,.,¨.