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