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