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