:,,¨..,¨,. .,¨,..¨,,:
.¨.¨,..,.. ..,..,¨.¨.
^,¨,.¨.¨,. .,¨.¨.,¨,^
~:.,,,..,. .,..,,,.:~
==,,..,..¨ ¨..,..,,==
*\»~,,¨.¨. 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. ¨,.¨.¨.,¨:
,..,.¨,,.¨ ¨.,,¨.,..,
^.¨.¨,.¨¨, ,¨¨.,¨.¨.^
~~.,.¨,,., ,.,,¨.,.~~
/--.¨.,¨,, ,,¨,.¨.--/
%/~-.,¨.,, ,,.¨,.-~/%
£$†«..,¨¨. .¨¨,..«†$£