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