¨,~†*@@### ###@@*†~,¨
,,«:%£&### ###&£%:«,,
..¨,¨,~*@# #@*~,¨,¨..
,.¨.¨..«%§ §%«..¨.¨.,
..~*†§¤#@# #@#¤§†*~..
,.¨.-*$#&# statuette #&#$*-.¨.,
¨,~;*£@##@ @##@£*;~,¨
¨-~;^&£@@# §@£*£¤$@¤$$%§$%£~«=-~»~~&£¤§*§*£§&&££%$* #@@£&^;~-¨
¨:-\§$§@@# $¤§£%$¤$¤ #@@§$§\-:¨
¨,==%££##@ @##££%==,¨
.-~/§@###¶ forests around my childhood home. thick ¶###@§/~-.
,.~^*@&@@@ pine arcades that were planted and @@@&@*^~.,
,.,.~^$%&@ forgotten. wild boars roaming @&%$^~.,.,
¨~«:=%@@## underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ##@@%=:«~¨
.~=;$%&%§@ is dark and moist, the canopy having @§%&%$;=~.
...¨^«=%$¶ already soaked up all the sun. ¶$%=«^¨...
,~=;^£¤#@# #@#¤£^;=~,
,.,.~~*&&@ there's a river passing by, from east @&&*~~.,.,
¨,¨...,»†& to west, getting broader and deeper and &†»,...¨,¨
¨,»=$%†§## slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ##§†%$=»,¨
,-~^=$£#@§ where the pine hands start to let §@#£$=^~-,
.^-^*%#### through light, horsemint on the rocky ####%*^-^.
¨.~†§§@@## river bed. ##@@§§†~.¨
,,..,»«§#@ @#§«»,..,,
.~-^§*§£@# ^ #@£§*§^-~.
,.,¨^*†%££ ££%†*^¨,.,
.,»;%*¤£## the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ##£¤*%;»,.
,,=§$§#### they had been a swampworld with sylvan ####§$§=,,
.,,..«%=¤# water, stone rings and floating moss. #¤=%«..,,.
.^~=%£@§@# you could've found me wallowing around #@§@£%=~^.
.::~~-\%£§ on the southern shores until i got §£%\-~~::.
¨,~=%*@@## bitten. ##@@*%=~,¨
¨,,-,*$%#@ @#%$*,-,,¨
,--;^£#¶£# but now i'm further back, on solid #£¶#£^;--,
.:»=$*£### ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ###£*$=»:.
¨:»*=%#¶## orange tin radio and a translucent ##¶#%=*»:¨
¨,«†=&¤&## umbrella which i'm sitting on. ##&¤&=†«,¨
,:»:^§§¶@# #@¶§§^:»:,
¨.,...:$&¶ † ¶&$:...,.¨
,^=\*§@&&# #&&@§*\=^,
,¨.,,-*%£# somethings moving in the grass. it's #£%*-,,.¨,
¨,¨,¨.~~%@ invisible to my eyes but i can feel @%~~.¨,¨,¨
,^-=%$@¶@# through the ground just how large it is. #@¶@$%=-^,
,~~†*%§¤¤# #¤¤§%*†~~,
.,~\%&#### the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ####&%\~,.
¨,,,¨,~$$& 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 ###%&==-~.
,,,,^^~$&# throw it away. #&$~^^,,,,
.,«/*£#### ####£*/«,.
.,-;*@§### ###§@*;-,.
.¨.¨.:*£¶¶ ¶¶£*:.¨.¨.
,¨¨¨~^^¤&# #&¤^^~¨¨¨,
,~»***@@## ##@@***»~,
,.,,.,«\¤# #¤\«,.,,.,