£#%$=»^.¨. .¨.^»=$%#£
#@^\~,.¨,, ,,¨.,~\^@#
@#¤^:«,¨,. .,¨,«:^¤#@
#£&%%^~-¨. .¨-~^%%&£#
##£@@^^~,. .,~^^@@£##
#£&$*^«,,¨ statuette ¨,,«^*$&£#
¶#$*/-,¨¨. .¨¨,-/*$#¶
#&%^~^.,¨¨ %$£§$¤$£@&$£$¤$*»-~»»~-«$%$@@@&§$%@££¤%§ ¨¨,.^~^%
@#§$†»-¨.¨ £*£§£$£$% ¨.¨-»†$§#@
@@¤&%;»:,. .,:»;%&¤@@
#@@@**^«,. forests around my childhood home. thick .,«^**@@@#
@#¤%=\~.., pine arcades that were planted and ,..~\=%¤#@
@¤£**-^,,. forgotten. wild boars roaming .,,^-**£¤@
@£^:-^,¨,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,¨,^-:^£@
@§%%†~,,,, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,,,,~†%%§@
#££¤%=»,.¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨.,»=%¤££#
###§@**«:, ,:«**@§###
###$*^=-¨. 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. ¨.,:-†*¤§#
§$=/-~,,.. ..,,~-/=$§
@&$§†~^.., ,..^~†§$&@
#¶&%†^~:,, ,,:~^†%&¶#
#@¶¤&*\-^, ,^-\*&¤¶@#
@££§%==~.¨ ¨.~==%§££@
£§%*^~-,¨¨ ¨¨,-~^*%§£