;~.,¨,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,¨,.~;
~.¨,..,¨.¨ ¨.¨,..,¨.~
.,¨.,,¨.¨. .¨.¨,,.¨,.
¨,¨¨,¨,¨.. ..¨,¨,¨¨,¨
¨..,..,.., ,..,..,..¨
,.¨..,.¨.¨ 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. ..,¨¨,¨,¨.
¨..¨¨.,,,. .,,,.¨¨..¨
,.,,,.¨¨¨. .¨¨¨.,,,.,
~^,¨¨.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.¨¨,^~
:»,,..,.¨, ,¨.,..,,»:
$=»^,.¨,., ,.,¨.,^»=$
**/»-¨.,.¨ ¨.,.¨-»/**