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