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