††»¨.¨,,,¨ ¨,,,¨.¨»††
=~,¨¨¨,,¨, ,¨,,¨¨¨,~=
~¨¨¨¨,¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨,¨¨¨¨~
,¨..¨¨.,¨¨ ¨¨,.¨¨..¨,
«,,,...¨.¨ ¨.¨...,,,«
^-¨¨,,,¨,, 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. ¨.¨...,~\†
;«¨,¨,,¨¨. .¨¨,,¨,¨«;
~¨,¨¨.,,,. .,,,.¨¨,¨~
.¨.¨,¨.¨., ,.¨.¨,¨.¨.
-¨,,.¨¨.¨. .¨.¨¨.,,¨-
:«..¨.,,¨¨ ¨¨,,.¨..«:
§;~,,¨...¨ ¨...¨,,~;§