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