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