^~,,¨,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,¨,,~^
=^«^..,.., ,..,..^«^=
§†^~:..,¨. .¨,..:~^†§
@£=/«.¨.., ,..¨.«/=£@
¶§%*\»-,¨. .¨,-»\*%§¶
@@§&=:--.. 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. .~»††&£@@#
##@%††«~.¨ ¨.~«††%@##
¶§@%/«^,¨. .¨,^«/%@§¶
§¤^/»,,... ...,,»/^¤§
%§\«,¨,¨.. ..¨,¨,«\§%
*†=~¨...¨. .¨...¨~=†*
*=.,.,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,.,.=*