@§$§†--¨,¨ ¨,¨--†§$§@
¤@$==:..,, ,,..:==$@¤
$§;--,,¨,, ,,¨,,--;§$
@$*^-~.,,. .,,.~-^*$@
#§£=:-~¨,¨ ¨,¨~-:=£§#
##&$†\~^¨. statuette .¨^~\†$#
#@#§*%\«.¨ ¨.«\%*§#@#
@@¤$%:=-.. %¤*§*%$@%££¤§¤%¤--»»»~=~&%¤££&%§*$£%$%&$ ..-=:%$¤@@
#@¤%;~,,,. ¤@$¤$@$§$ .,,,~;%¤@#
£*†=-,¨,,, ,,,¨,-=†*£
$†;~:¨¨.,¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨,.¨¨:~;†$
£¤=*-,,,.. 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 ,,^~\=%¤@#
@@%$:«...¨ throw it away. ¨...«:$%@@
&§=^=.,,¨¨ ¨¨,,.=^=§&
§*:~...¨.. ..¨...~:*§
§£§\«,.,.. ..,.,«\§£§
¶#£%\-^.,, ,,.^-\%£#¶
#@#@$\=,¨. .¨,=\$@#@#
##£&%%^=.. ..=^%%&£##