†-.,¨¨¨,,. .,,¨¨¨,.-†
».,,,..¨,. .,¨..,,,.»
,¨..¨¨.,., ,.,.¨¨..¨,
,.¨..¨¨,¨, ,¨,¨¨..¨.,
~¨,¨.¨.¨¨, ,¨¨.¨.¨,¨~
=-¨.,,,,,, 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. ¨¨¨,,,¨^=†
»:.,,,,,¨. .¨,,,,,.:»
^...¨...¨, ,¨...¨...^
.,¨...¨¨¨. .¨¨¨...¨,.
,..,.¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨.,..,
«,,.¨.,,,, ,,,,.¨.,,«
/~-¨,,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,,¨-~/