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