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