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