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