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