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