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