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