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