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