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