¨,,,,.,¨.. ..¨,.,,,,¨
...¨¨,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,¨¨...
~¨,.¨,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,¨.,¨~
~,¨,,,¨¨¨. .¨¨¨,,,¨,~
^~:,,.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.,,:~^
^\~^.¨¨¨.. 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. ¨,¨¨¨-==§%
¤@%\-,..¨, ,¨..,-\%@¤
@&@§\«^¨., ,.¨^«\§@&@
@£@£=†-.¨¨ ¨¨.-†=£@£@
###¤£**«,¨ ¨,«**£¤###
##¤£^^=~,, ,,~=^^£¤##
£§$†=~:.,¨ ¨,.:~=†$§£