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