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