,,,¨¨,,¨,. .,¨,,¨¨,,,
¨,¨.,,¨.¨. .¨.¨,,.¨,¨
¨...¨¨,,¨. .¨,,¨¨...¨
~¨,¨..,¨,. .,¨,..¨,¨~
=,,.,¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨,.,,=
*«,.¨¨¨,.. 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. .,¨¨,,¨¨¨.
¨,,...,,.¨ ¨.,,...,,¨
¨..¨.,..,, ,,..,.¨..¨
¨...¨,,,.. ..,,,¨...¨
,,,¨¨,.¨.. ..¨.,¨¨,,,
¨,..,,,¨.. ..¨,,,..,¨
..¨¨,,¨.,, ,,.¨,,¨¨..