¤$†«,,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,,«†$¤
%=~~¨,,¨¨, ,¨¨,,¨~~=%
=«:¨¨..,.. ..,..¨¨:«=
»,¨.¨,¨..¨ ¨..¨,¨.¨,»
:,¨¨,...¨¨ ¨¨...,¨¨,:
..¨..,.,¨, 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. ,,.,,.,..,
.¨.¨,,,.,, ,,.,,,¨.¨.
¨.,¨..,¨., ,.¨,..¨,.¨
,¨¨,¨¨,,.¨ ¨.,,¨¨,¨¨,
^..,.,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,.,..^
~.,,,.,.., ,..,.,,,.~
†».,,.¨.,¨ ¨,.¨.,,.»†