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