#¤%$:=¨,.. ..,¨=:$%¤#
##£§$=/~:¨ ¨:~/=$§£##
@¶£%†--..¨ ¨..--†%£¶@
£%;-,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,-;%£
##@@&*=~.¨ ¨.~=*&@@##
###¤$$*~,. statuette .,~*$$¤###
##@£@%==^¨ ¨^==%@£@##
£¤†$†»«~:, §**£$££*£§$&¤¤@§»=~~~~~-%$%@*@£*@££*£££% ,:~«»†$†¤£
#¶$=;~,.¨¨ £§%%&%*§£ ¨¨.,~;=$¶#
£§*/~,,,¨, ,¨,,,~/*§£
##¶£*^==,, forests around my childhood home. thick ,,==^*£¶##
###@¤§=--, pine arcades that were planted and ,--=§¤@###
@@&$»««»~. 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. ,,»\*&§@@#
¤§%$»-¨.¨, ,¨.¨-»$%§¤
&&$%*;*=,¨ ¨,=*;*%$&&
##¶¤$§\=^. .^=\§$¤¶##
@@&*»..,.¨ ¨.,..»*&@@
£$*»=,¨,.. ..,¨,=»*$£
##£§§%=«:, ,:«=%§§£##