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