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