¨,¨¨¨...¨, ,¨...¨¨¨,¨
¨,¨,.,.,,¨ ¨,,.,.,¨,¨
^..¨¨,,,., ,.,,,¨¨..^
»-..¨¨,,¨¨ ¨¨,,¨¨..-»
^-,.¨¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨¨.,-^
%/=-¨,,.,¨ 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. ¨,,¨,¨¨¨¨,
,¨¨.,¨..¨. .¨..¨,.¨¨,
,.,,...¨., ,.¨...,,.,
,,,.,.,.,, ,,.,.,.,,,
¨.,¨...,¨. .¨,...¨,.¨
..¨¨,,.¨,¨ ¨,¨.,,¨¨..
¨¨.¨.,¨¨¨. .¨¨¨,.¨.¨¨