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