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