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