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