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