£=/»-¨.¨,¨ ¨,¨.¨-»/=£
*;«,¨¨,,¨, ,¨,,¨¨,«;*
=»:¨,¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨,¨:»=
~:,¨....., ,.....¨,:~
:¨¨.,¨¨.., ,..¨¨,.¨¨:
.,.¨¨,,¨.. 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. ,,,,¨,»\%£
$\=,¨.¨¨.. ..¨¨.¨,=\$
^«-,,,¨,., ,.,¨,,,-«^
~:¨¨¨,,,.¨ ¨.,,,¨¨¨:~
^.¨¨,¨¨.,. .,.¨¨,¨¨.^
¨.,.,.,.,, ,,.,.,.,.¨
.¨,.,.¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨.,.,¨.