†-~.,.¨,.. ..,¨.,.~-†
%=-.¨¨.¨., ,.¨.¨¨.-=%
%§^~,,.,¨¨ ¨¨,.,,~^§%
£¤††-,¨¨., ,.¨¨,-††¤£
#@$*/=^¨,, ,,¨^=/*$@#
##@$†:~-¨, statuette ,¨-~:†$@##
##@@£*:»,, ,,»:*£@@##
##£***~.¨¨ £§@$$%$%$$§$%&%$~-~~-~~»$&&$*&%£%&*§§£$£ ¨¨.~***£##
#£%*\=,¨,. ¤§£%&@$%& .,¨,=\*%£#
#**^«,,¨., ,.¨,,«^**#
$†=»^,.,.. forests around my childhood home. thick ..,.,^»=†$
*\=-,¨.,,, 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. .,¨¨¨¨.-~\
*==:..,¨.¨ ¨.¨,..:==*
§%:«,.,¨,, ,,¨,.,«:%§
§£%^-~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~-^%£§
@¤£§^~,¨.¨ ¨.¨,~^§£¤@
##@&$\«-., ,.-«\$&@##
##@¤£§^=^¨ ¨^=^§£¤@##