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