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