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