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