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