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