@@@%=\-~,, ,,~-\=%@@@
@¤£%^«,.¨, ,¨.,«^%£¤@
¤@*/=:,¨., ,.¨,:=/*@¤
%%\~,..,,¨ ¨,,..,~\%%
**=,,¨,,,, ,,,,¨,,=**
:»~,..¨¨.¨ 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 ¨¨.~^$££##
#@¶&%*\~~. she is worried and wants me to .~~\*%&¶@#
@#§**\~:,, throw it away. ,,:~\**§#@
£&@=;~..¨. .¨..~;=@&£
&$§†«~¨... ...¨~«†§$&
£§/~-,.¨.. ..¨.,-~/§£
$†«^..,.¨, ,¨.,..^«†$
/»^¨¨,..,¨ ¨,..,¨¨^»/
%*~..¨..., ,...¨..~*%