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