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