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