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