..,..¨..,. .,..¨..,..
,¨..,¨,,¨. .¨,,¨,..¨,
.¨,,¨,¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨,¨,,¨.
¨..,¨...¨¨ ¨¨...¨,..¨
...¨¨¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨¨¨...
,¨.¨.¨,,.¨ 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. ¨¨...,¨,¨,
.,,,¨,,.,. .,.,,¨,,,.
.¨...¨,.¨¨ ¨¨.,¨...¨.
¨.¨¨,.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.,¨¨.¨
¨....,¨.,, ,,.¨,....¨
¨¨,¨.,.,,. .,,.,.¨,¨¨
-,,¨¨¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨¨¨,,-