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