,.,.,¨.¨., ,.¨.¨,.,.,
.,,¨,¨¨¨., ,.¨¨¨,¨,,.
,.¨¨,,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,,¨¨.,
:,,.¨¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨¨.,,:
=^¨.¨.,,,. .,,,.¨.¨^=
\~,,,,.... 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. ..¨..,,,..
¨¨.,..¨,., ,.,¨..,.¨¨
,,¨.,¨...¨ ¨...¨,.¨,,
-,,...,,., ,.,,...,,-
~:¨,..¨,., ,.,¨..,¨:~
:»,.¨,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,¨.,»:
=/«,,¨¨.., ,..¨¨,,«/=