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