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