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