£*%*»-.,,¨ ¨,,.-»*%*£
#@*=†~:¨,, ,,¨:~†=*@#
##££*†«,.. ..,«†*££##
###@%=;~.¨ ¨.~;=%@###
##@¤^†-:,¨ ¨,:-†^¤@##
@#$%:~,.¨, statuette ,¨.,~:%$#@
@&%\-.,,,¨ ¨,,,.-\%&@
%^\~,,,.., ££@¤£@&$*%£@$%$@~«~~»«-~£%@%&@$£%£$$¤$*& ,..,,,~\^%
¶¤*†»^,¨.¨ &&$&*@*£¤ ¨.¨,^»†*¤¶
#££§*~-.¨, ,¨.-~*§££#
###§^*-~., forests around my childhood home. thick ,.~-*^§###
###@$%;~-. pine arcades that were planted and .-~;%$@###
###@%:~^,¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨,^~:%@###
#@%$:~,.,¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨,.,~:$%@#
@*†^=.,.,, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,,.,.=^†*@
£†=~^¨¨.,. already soaked up all the sun. .,.¨¨^~=†£
#§%\~-.,,, ,,,.-~\%§#
#@£%*~,..¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨..,~*%£@#
#@@§%:=,¨. to west, getting broader and deeper and .¨,=:%§@@#
####*$^~,. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .,~^$*####
#@#$$\«,.¨ 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. .,,.~=*^@£
#¶*===^.¨. .¨.^===*¶#
###%%/»,,. .,,»/%%###
##@#$$;--¨ ¨--;$$#@##
###£%/~:,, ,,:~/%£###
@@@^/=,... ...,=/^@@@
@@=^-,,,,. .,,,,-^=@@