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