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