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