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