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