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