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