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