%*†«^,,¨¨. .¨¨,,^«†*%
**«...¨¨., ,.¨¨...«**
†~^¨,.¨.,, ,,.¨.,¨^~†
~..¨¨¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨¨¨..~
^...¨,,¨.. ..¨,,¨...^
,,.,,,,¨¨, 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. .,¨.¨~==%¤
$^»-¨¨¨¨,. .,¨¨¨¨-»^$
:~^.,.,.,¨ ¨,.,.,.^~:
-^,¨¨.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.¨¨,^-
^.¨¨..¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨..¨¨.^
,.,¨¨,.¨¨. .¨¨.,¨¨,.,
~¨¨¨¨.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.¨¨¨¨~