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