¨-=:^¤@@@# #@@@¤^:=-¨
,¨,.,«/† #&†/«,.,¨,
,:«†$£*#£# #£#*£$†«:,
,-==:§†£#£ £#£†§:==-,
.,~/†$§#@# #@#§$†/~,.
¨,.,~%^£££ 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. #&$;=.,,¨,
¨¨,-«\:§£@ @£§:\«-,¨¨
¨:=†^¤§@@# my mom is here now. i ask her for some #@@§¤^†=:¨
..¨,¨~*@¶£ particle board for it to dry on, but £¶@*~¨,¨..
¨.»;^@§#@# she is worried and wants me to #@#§@^;».¨
,-«†%£@# throw it away. #@#&£%†«-,
..,.-;†$£@ @£$†;-.,..
..=;*$#### ####$*;=..
¨-~;†&§### ###§&†;~-¨
...¨»-=$§# #§$=-»¨...
¨^»†**§### ###§**†»^¨
,:~=*&¤#£¶ ¶£#¤&*=~:,