»,,,,,,,., ,.,,,,,,,»
;~..¨.,... ...,.¨..~;
†^~:¨.¨¨,. .,¨¨.¨:~^†
¤$;~.,.,., ,.,.,.~;$¤
#&%^«,,¨¨, ,¨¨,,«^%
¶§$=/«,.., statuette ,..,«/=$§¶
##@$=*--,, ,,--*=$@##
##@&&==»~, £§$¤£&£%£¤*£££¤*-«-~«~=»£$$@£¤*£¤$£@£$%% ,~»==&&@##
#@&%*/~,,, $$%£$¤*&@ ,,,~/*%&@#
¶£$^*»,.¨¨ ¨¨.,»*^$£¶
#¤*\»-.¨¨. forests around my childhood home. thick .¨¨.-»\*¤#
%%/«,,.¨,. pine arcades that were planted and .,¨.,,«/%%
%=-^,¨.,¨, forgotten. wild boars roaming ,¨,.¨,^-=%
^~-¨¨¨,.¨¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨¨.,¨¨¨-~^
-,,,¨,,¨,¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨,¨,,¨,,,-
^,¨.,.¨¨., already soaked up all the sun. ,.¨¨.,.¨,^
¨,¨¨.¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨.¨¨,¨
,..,.¨¨.,. there's a river passing by, from east .,.¨¨.,..,
.,,¨.¨,¨.. to west, getting broader and deeper and ..¨,¨.¨,,.
.¨,..,,,.¨ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ¨.,,,..,¨.
,,,¨,..¨., where the pine hands start to let ,.¨..,¨,,,
.,¨..,,.., through light, horsemint on the rocky ,..,,..¨,.
,,.,,¨,,¨, river bed. ,¨,,¨,,.,,
,.,.¨,.,¨, ,¨,.,¨.,.,
~,..,.,,,, ; ,,,,.,..,~
\«,,,,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,,,,«\
%^«,¨..¨., the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,.¨..¨,«^%
£*†»,¨.¨¨¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨¨¨.¨,»†*£
#*$/-,,.,¨ 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. ¨,,,¨..,^=
^-:.,¨¨¨,. .,¨¨¨,.:-^
§;«..,.¨¨. .¨¨.,..«;§
$=^~.,..¨¨ ¨¨..,.~^=$
@*%*«-.... ....-«*%*@
@@@*:~,¨.. ..¨,~:*@@@
##@%%*~.,, ,,.~*%%@##