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