£*^-,¨..., ,...¨,-^*£
*^--¨,¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨,¨--^*
†«:¨.,...¨ ¨...,.¨:«†
~~¨,.¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨.,¨~~
-¨,..,..,. .,..,..,¨-
¨.¨¨.,.,,, 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. ¨,,¨¨:~;^§
$*-^,..¨.¨ ¨.¨..,^-*$
^-,.¨,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,¨.,-^
»,.,¨¨,¨¨, ,¨¨,¨¨,.,»
.¨¨,.¨,¨,. .,¨,¨.,¨¨.
....,¨¨,.. ..,¨¨,....
-¨,,.,,¨., ,.¨,,.,,¨-