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