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