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