,¨,,,,,,¨. .¨,,,,,,¨,
¨.,,..,.,, ,,.,..,,.¨
..¨,¨..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..¨,¨..
:,..¨.¨,¨. .¨,¨.¨..,:
«:.¨¨,.,,. .,,.,¨¨.:«
;«^,,.¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨,,,.¨,.¨¨
,,..,,.... ....,,..,,
,..¨,.¨,¨. .¨,¨.,¨..,
.,,,,¨.,.¨ ¨.,.¨,,,,.
~,¨,...,,¨ ¨,,...,¨,~
;-^¨,¨¨¨.. ..¨¨¨,¨^-;
=\=...,,,. .,,,...=\=