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