~^,¨.,..¨. .¨..,.¨,^~
~,...¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨...,~
,¨.,.,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,.,.¨,
^.,.¨¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨¨.,.^
~:,¨,¨.,,, ,,,.¨,¨,:~
=~~,.,,¨,, 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. ,¨¨...,,.=
~¨.¨,¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨,¨.¨~
...¨,.,,., ,.,,.,¨...
-¨..,¨,.., ,..,¨,..¨-
«:,....¨¨¨ ¨¨¨....,:«
:=~...¨,,¨ ¨,,¨...~=:
*=«~,¨,,¨. .¨,,¨,~«=*