§/»,¨,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,¨,»/§
\~,¨....,. .,....¨,~\
~,¨¨,,,.¨. .¨.,,,¨¨,~
,¨,,.¨,,., ,.,,¨.,,¨,
,..¨..¨.¨. .¨.¨..¨..,
^,,,¨,¨.,, 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. ¨..,.¨~-=*
*«,¨.,¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨,.¨,«*
-~,¨¨,¨¨,. .,¨¨,¨¨,~-
~.,¨,,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,,¨,.~
.,¨....¨., ,.¨....¨,.
~,.¨.,,.¨. .¨.,,.¨.,~
»^¨,¨¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨¨,¨^»