~:,¨,¨.¨., ,.¨.¨,¨,:~
..,.¨,,.., ,..,,¨.,..
,¨¨¨,¨.,,. .,,.¨,¨¨¨,
.¨.¨.,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,.¨.¨.
¨.¨.,¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨,.¨.¨
...,¨¨.¨.. 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. ¨¨,.¨¨.¨^~
.¨,,,.,¨., ,.¨,.,,,¨.
¨.¨.,¨¨,,. .,,¨¨,.¨.¨
¨.¨,¨¨¨... ...¨¨¨,¨.¨
¨,¨,.¨,,¨. .¨,,¨.,¨,¨
,,..¨.¨... ...¨.¨..,,
,.,¨...,., ,.,...¨,.,