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