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