¨.¨..,,,.. ..,,,..¨.¨
.,.¨,,.,., ,.,.,,¨.,.
¨¨,,¨.¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨.¨,,¨¨
..,¨¨¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨¨¨,..
.,.,,,¨.,, ,,.¨,,,.,.
,¨¨.¨¨¨¨.. 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. ,.¨.¨.,,¨,
..,.,¨..¨, ,¨..¨,.,..
..,,.¨...¨ ¨...¨.,,..
,,¨.¨,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,¨.¨,,
..¨,,..¨¨, ,¨¨..,,¨..
¨,.¨,¨.¨., ,.¨.¨,¨.,¨
,¨¨,¨,¨,¨. .¨,¨,¨,¨¨,