..¨¨¨¨..,, ,,..¨¨¨¨..
¨.¨..¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨..¨.¨
.,,,,,¨,.. ..,¨,,,,,.
¨.¨.¨,,,¨. .¨,,,¨.¨.¨
,,¨.,,,¨¨. .¨¨,,,.¨,,
,,¨.....¨. 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. .¨,.¨.,¨¨.
...,....., ,.....,...
,,.,...,., ,.,...,.,,
,,....¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨....,,
,¨,.,¨,.,, ,,.,¨,.,¨,
¨¨,,¨,.,.. ..,.,¨,,¨¨
^,¨,,¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨,,¨,^