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