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