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