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