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