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