~,,¨,,,¨.. ..¨,,,¨,,~
~~..,..¨¨. .¨¨..,..~~
/=^¨,.¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨.,¨^=/
$*~,...... ......,~*$
%$^~:,¨.., ,..¨,:~^$%
&%†=~~..,. 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 ,.~~;**¤£#
#¤*$\~,.,. radio (now dented) but also a small .,.,~\$*¤#
&%=†«:¨¨.¨ clay figure i've never seen before. it ¨.¨¨:«†=%&
§*^~,,¨¨¨¨ must have been laying in the wet dirt, ¨¨¨¨,,~^*§
†;=-.,¨,.. and i must've picked it up with my ..,¨,.-=;†
†-.¨,¨¨¨¨¨ other belongings. ¨¨¨¨¨,¨.-†
~^¨,¨...,. .,...¨,¨^~
~.,¨¨¨¨.¨, it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ,¨.¨¨¨¨,.~
,,,¨¨¨,.,¨ on her stomach, feet in the air, ¨,.,¨¨¨,,,
¨.¨¨.,..,. roughly seven centimeters long. it's .,..,.¨¨.¨
¨¨..¨.¨¨,¨ freshly made, not yet completely dried. ¨,¨¨.¨..¨¨
.,,.,..,.. ..,..,.,,.
..,.,.,,., my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,.,,.,.,..
.,¨¨..,,,. particle board for it to dry on, but .,,,..¨¨,.
.¨¨,.¨¨,,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,,¨¨.,¨¨.
-.¨,.¨¨¨¨¨ throw it away. ¨¨¨¨¨.,¨.-
=-.,¨,..., ,...,¨,.-=
^~,,..,.,. .,.,..,,~^
%;«,,¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨,,«;%
&*;~-,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,-~;*&
#*†^-:,.¨, ,¨.,:-^†*#
@#@$:«-¨,¨ ¨,¨-«:$@#@