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