«:¨,¨,¨.,, ,,.¨,¨,¨:«
.¨¨,¨¨.,¨, ,¨,.¨¨,¨¨.
.,,,,..,., ,.,..,,,,.
¨,..,,,¨¨. .¨¨,,,..,¨
..¨,.¨¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨¨.,¨..
...,¨,,.¨, 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. .¨.,,,..:«
,,..¨¨,.., ,..,¨¨..,,
.¨¨.¨¨,,¨. .¨,,¨¨.¨¨.
¨.,.,.,.., ,..,.,.,.¨
.,¨¨¨¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨¨¨¨,.
¨.,¨.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.¨,.¨
.,..,,..¨. .¨..,,..,.