##§%*\«^¨. .¨^«\*%§##
#¤£$=».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»=$£¤#
§£§*-,¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨,-*§£§
$†;»-,..., ,...,-»;†$
§&*^=~¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨~=^*&§
@#¤†;=^¨., 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 ,,¨¨.~/$*#
&=\«..,,¨. freshly made, not yet completely dried. .¨,,..«\=&
@@%^-,,.¨¨ ¨¨.,,-^%@@
¶£¤^/=,¨,. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .,¨,=/^¤£¶
###&§=~.¨¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨¨.~=§##
##£@&%\~~. she is worried and wants me to .~~\%&@£##
##&%§=«,,. throw it away. .,,«=§%#
@@£§;«-¨,, ,,¨-«;§£@@
¤$*\~~,,¨¨ ¨¨,,~~\*$¤
§*;»^,...¨ ¨...,^»;*§
#¤$^~,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,~^$¤#
#¤£$†-,¨.¨ ¨.¨,-†$£¤#
#¶#$§:-:,, ,,:-:§$#¶#