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