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