§$*-,¨,,,¨ ¨,,,¨,-*$§
#@£§$*==^, ,^==*$§£@#
¤$;,,,,.¨¨ ¨¨.,,,,;$¤
@@††~,,^^. .^^,,~††@@
##¶¤$$:=~, ,~=:$$¤¶##
§&£$§-¨.¨¨ statuette ¨¨.¨-§$£&§
#@@&$*†»^. .^»†*$&@@#
@#§@$†;=:¨ £%£@$£$¤£%@&%&*£»~~-=»~~*&£$$%&§%£¤¤*¤%$ ¨:=;†$@§#@
##£¤§§:~-, £¤@£$§£%% ,-~:§§¤£##
#@¶¤£$†-,, ,,-†$£¤¶@#
££$§*««.,¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨,.««*§$££
##£#**/-~. pine arcades that were planted and .~-/**#£##
###¤%*†--¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨--†*%¤###
#@%:-:,.,. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it .,.,:-:%@#
#¤#$-«-,., is dark and moist, the canopy having ,.,-«-$#¤#
##£§§==~^, already soaked up all the sun. ,^~==§§£##
##@§%%\»^, ,^»\%%§@##
##¤:~=-~,, there's a river passing by, from east ,,~-=~:¤##
##@#*§†~:¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨:~†§*#@##
##¤/-,.,¨¨ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ¨¨,.,-/¤##
@@$»,¨¨¨¨¨ where the pine hands start to let ¨¨¨¨¨,»$@@
#%/=.,¨,.¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨.,¨,.=/%#
###¶&%:-:¨ river bed. ¨:-:%&¶###
@@#&£%†~,, ,,~†%£&#@@
@¶@@%$†~~¨ / ¨~~†$%@@¶@
@§#¤%^^»-. .-»^^%¤#§@
¤¤^†~..¨¨. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .¨¨..~†^¤¤
#£%@**;=,¨ they had been a swampworld with sylvan ¨,=;**@%£#
@##£*$†»,¨ water, stone rings and floating moss. ¨,»†$*£##@
#@£§%*;»~¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨~»;*%§£@#
#$%£%~^¨.¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨.¨^~%£%$#
@@#§§%==^¨ bitten. ¨^==%§§#@@
#£§=.¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨.=§£#
##¶£%$=»-¨ but now i'm further back, on solid ¨-»=$%£¶##
##@§%*\-:. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .:-\*%§@##
§£=;».¨¨., orange tin radio and a translucent ,.¨¨.»;=£§
####¤^==~¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨~==^¤####
####$=:~.¨ ¨.~:=$####
#@£§%*^~,¨ \ ¨,~^*%§£@#
&£^;-~^,,, ,,,^~-;^£&
@$$*^~~¨¨¨ 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. ..~:*@&@@@
##¶#$%:-~, ,~-:%$#¶##
##£¤@^\~^¨ ¨^~\^@¤£##
£&%†,.,.¨¨ ¨¨.,.,†%&£
###&$%/»~¨ ¨~»/%$&###
##¶£%^^»^¨ ¨^»^^%£¶##
###@¤*$=~¨ ¨~=$*¤@###