¨.=^=¤¶### ###¶¤=^=.¨
.,«/*§&@## ##@&§*/«,.
,.,^./†*£¶ ¶£*†/.^,.,
.:«/%¤## ###&¤%/«:.
,.~\§$&¶## ##¶&$§\~.,
.,~:$&¤@## statuette ##@¤&$:~,.
¨~«*§&@#@# #@#@&§*«~¨
.=*^$¤@### $%¤@§%%&£§¤%¤@*¤«~~=~~~~¤$£&*%§¤%%*£%$%% ###@¤$^*=.
,:«*%#@### ¤%*£¤%%&@ ###@#%*«:,
¨,,^†;%% #&%%;†^,,¨
.,»=%$## forests around my childhood home. thick ###&$%=»,.
.,~=§£## 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. @§§*==.,¨,
,¨¨,¨-~=¤# #¤=~-¨,¨¨,
,,¨.~†^§§@ @§§^†~.¨,,
.--:*£#@#£ £#@#£*:--.
,,.,==/@@@ @@@/==,.,,
,,»**£@### ###@£**»,,
..,¨:=^%## ##%^=:¨,..