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