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