%†,,,.¨.,. .,.¨.,,,†%
$%;~..,,,. .,,,..~;%$
&%$;,..,,. .,,..,;$%&
@§£*/,.,.. ..,.,/*£§@
###$*:,,.¨ ¨.,,:*$###
##£&£^=-,¨ 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. .,¨,,.¨..¨
¨.¨¨,,,,¨. .¨,,,,¨¨.¨
¨.¨.,¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨,.¨.¨
.,.,..¨,.¨ ¨.,¨..,.,.
:.¨¨¨¨¨,., ,.,¨¨¨¨¨.:
†:..,,,.,. .,.,,,..:†
^^,,¨,,,,. .,,,,¨,,^^