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