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