£$**=¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨=**$£
#@@&*$\«,¨ ¨,«\$*&@@#
&#§@/~:..¨ ¨..:~/@§#&
£¶§^§^/=.¨ ¨.=/^§^§¶£
§¤£**;~~,¨ ¨,~~;**£¤§
@#@¤%=:~., statuette ,.~:=%¤@#@
#¶£§£%/-~¨ ¨~-/%£§£¶#
@§#£;~~^., @$@£$¤$$§$*%$£§$«»=-«-~~&%%%%$£¤%$¤§%¤$£ ,.^~~;£#§@
#@#@%*;~-, £*$$¤§$$$ ,-~;*%@#@#
¶¶%=.,¨.¨. .¨.¨,.=%¶¶
@#¶&*%^~:. forests around my childhood home. thick .:~^%*&¶#@
£=»:¨¨¨,.. pine arcades that were planted and ..,¨¨¨:»=£
##@¤%*†».. forgotten. wild boars roaming ..»†*%¤@##
@#£&@%:»~, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,~»:%@&£#@
@@$§*\-,.. is dark and moist, the canopy having ..,-\*§$@@
###@&=^»:¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨:»^=&@###
##@@&§=«^. .^«=§&@@##
#@§¤%*=«~¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨~«=*%¤§@#
#@#§@=;«:¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨:«;=@§#@#
@§%*~,..¨, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,¨..,~*%§@
@§&$==~,,¨ where the pine hands start to let ¨,,~==$&§@
@@*%«=,.,. through light, horsemint on the rocky .,.,=«%*@@
#####==«~, river bed. ,~«==#####
#¤%*/=,,.¨ ¨.,,=/*%¤#
##£¤§^†~,. \ .,~†^§¤£##
@¤@£%*^~~, ,~~^*%£@¤@
##@\,¨.,¨¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨¨,.¨,\@##
#*%*==;»^¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨^»;==*%*#
###&$$\=-¨ 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. ..~^=%£@#@
#@@§§^^-,. .,-^^§§@@#
£*~,¨¨.... ....¨¨,~*£
#¤%*^%/=,. .,=/%^*%¤#
#&@%*^«~:. .:~«^*%@&#
#£@*/«.,¨¨ ¨¨,.«/*@£#
##@¤**†=-. .-=†**¤@##