-.,,¨.¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨.¨,,.-
..¨,..,¨¨, ,¨¨,..,¨..
,¨,.,.¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨.,.,¨,
^¨,.,...., ,....,.,¨^
--¨¨¨¨..., ,...¨¨¨¨--
/-,..¨¨,.¨ 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. ¨¨..¨¨.,^«
.¨¨.,.,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,.,.¨¨.
¨,.,,,¨,,, ,,,¨,,,.,¨
~.¨¨...,., ,.,...¨¨.~
~^¨,.,¨¨., ,.¨¨,.,¨^~
†=,¨.,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,.¨,=†
**».¨¨.¨,¨ ¨,¨.¨¨.»**