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