@¤=\~~.,¨, ,¨,.~~\=¤@
%**»:¨¨¨,. .,¨¨¨:»**%
@%§*~,,... ...,,~*§%@
@#£*†=,¨., ,.¨,=†*£#@
#£#$=†-.,¨ ¨,.-†=$#£#
#@¶§$^*-,. statuette .,-*^$§¶@#
##£§$†~-,¨ ¨,-~†$§£##
@§%=/=-,¨, $@%$%&¤%%££%§%&$~~=~--==@&$&%§$£$$£%&£@$ ,¨,-=/=%§@
¤*^*»:.¨,¨ *%£$*$@%% ¨,¨.:»*^*¤
@%;~..,,¨¨ ¨¨,,..~;%@
@*^*»~¨¨¨. forests around my childhood home. thick .¨¨¨~»*^*@
@&§*\~:¨,¨ pine arcades that were planted and ¨,¨:~\*§&@
#£&**†»,., forgotten. wild boars roaming ,.,»†**&£#
###£$*;«~, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,~«;*$£###
@#¤&$\-~,¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨,~-\$&¤#@
@§$$^~,..¨ 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. .,,¨^~:§¤§
$%/«..,.., ,..,..«/%$
¤£†^«~¨.., ,..¨~«^†£¤
£@%*/~^,¨¨ ¨¨,^~/*%@£
@¶¤*†^~,.¨ ¨.,~^†*¤¶@
###&$$†=., ,.=†$$&###
#@§§%/-:,¨ ¨,:-/%§§@#