¤£\,¨..,¨. .¨,..¨,\£¤
####&%^~-¨ ¨-~^%&####
#$&;=¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨=;&$#
###£&%^-.. ..-^%&£###
#@@§£†*~,¨ ¨,~*†£§@@#
#@@&¤%/~,. 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 .~»*^$¤##@
##@&£§\~~¨ on her stomach, feet in the air, ¨~~\§£&@##
##¶¤%*/=,¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨,=/*%¤¶##
#@¶&£^;=., freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,.=;^£&¶@#
###£&%^~^. .^~^%&£###
£§£%%†^«,. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .,«^†%%£§£
##@&*§†«-¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨-«†§*&@##
####@§^~-. she is worried and wants me to .-~^§@####
####¤§^»-. throw it away. .-»^§¤####
##@#%=^~,. .,~^=%#@##
##££%§\«:. .:«\§%££##
#§&*=:¨.., ,..¨:=*&§#
#@&*@%^».¨ ¨.»^%@*&@#
#@#§§$==:. .:==$§§#@#
####£=/«:, ,:«/=£####