*†==^,¨¨.. ..¨¨,^==†*
@£§/~,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,~/§£@
#@*§:»..,¨ ¨,..»:§*@#
@@¤£=†-,,, ,,,-†=£¤@@
##£@¤^†«:, ,:«†^¤@£##
#¶§§§†-,.. 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. .,¨¨.¨¨¨¨:
,¨¨,¨.¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨.¨,¨¨,
,..,..¨.., ,..¨..,..,
,...,...¨. .¨...,...,
,.,.¨,,... ...,,¨.,.,
«:¨,,,,.¨, ,¨.,,,,¨:«
;=^,,.,¨¨, ,¨¨,.,,^=;