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