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