\=,¨,,,,.. ..,,,,¨,=\
~~,,.¨,..¨ ¨..,¨.,,~~
.,.,.¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨.,.,.
¨,¨¨..,.,, ,,.,..¨¨,¨
,¨¨...¨¨., ,.¨¨...¨¨,
,,,.¨¨¨,¨. 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 .,,.--/†$£
§^=»-..,.¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨.,..-»=^§
*\=,,.,,.. clay figure i've never seen before. it ..,,.,,=\*
:~^,¨..¨.¨ must have been laying in the wet dirt, ¨.¨..¨,^~:
~,.,,.,,.¨ and i must've picked it up with my ¨.,,.,,.,~
,.¨¨..¨.¨, other belongings. ,¨.¨..¨¨.,
.,¨.¨¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨¨.¨,.
,¨,.¨¨¨,,. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .,,¨¨¨.,¨,
¨¨¨.¨,,¨¨. on her stomach, feet in the air, .¨¨,,¨.¨¨¨
^¨.,.,.¨., roughly seven centimeters long. it's ,.¨.,.,.¨^
~^.¨.¨.,.. freshly made, not yet completely dried. ..,.¨.¨.^~
*~,,.,,,.¨ ¨.,,,.,,~*
§/=,,.¨.¨. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .¨.¨.,,=/§
*†;~~¨,¨¨, particle board for it to dry on, but ,¨¨,¨~~;†*
&£†;-:¨¨.. she is worried and wants me to ..¨¨:-;†£&
£§%†^~^.¨. throw it away. .¨.^~^†%§£
@££*†*~^.¨ ¨.^~*†*££@
#@@£$=/~-. .-~/=$£@@#
#£@&%/~^.. ..^~/%&@£#
@£@%^-^.¨¨ ¨¨.^-^%@£@
@$$†»,,,,. .,,,,»†$$@
¤*\-,...., ,....,-\*¤