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