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