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