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