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