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