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