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