¨^~\**§@@# #@@§**\~^¨
,-~;†;†$@¶ ¶@$†;†;~-,
..»†%*§@## ##@§*%†»..
,¨,~\:*%§§ §§%*:\~,¨,
.,-==§§*¤# #¤*§§==-,.
.^»:=@#£@# 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 @*$~¨,,.,¨
¨~=/^#@### she is worried and wants me to ###@#^/=~¨
¨^-=^&§### throw it away. ###§&^=-^¨
,,~\%$@£@# #@£@$%\~,,
.,«;$%@£@# #@£@%$;«,.
,,,.¨»:§&@ @&§:»¨.,,,
.,~:†&@### ###@&†:~,.
¨^»/%£#£@# #@£#£%/»^¨
¨.»†%¤¤¶@# #@¶¤¤%†».¨