##@§$*:,¨¨ ¨¨,:*$§@##
###£%^.,.¨ ¨.,.^%£###
#@$^/-¨,¨, ,¨,¨-/^$@#
@£@£%*^¨,. .,¨^*%£@£@
##@#$%*..¨ ¨..*%$#@##
###¶@@%;^. 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. ,.¨~\=$#£@
@£@==^.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.^==@£@
###§§;,,., my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,.,,;§§###
#@#&@%:,¨. particle board for it to dry on, but .¨,:%@&#@#
####&¤§*,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,*§¤&####
#@@#@==,,, throw it away. ,,,==@#@@#
#@&$^;^..¨ ¨..^;^$&@#
£¤%=†:.,¨¨ ¨¨,.:†=%¤£
#@#@†\,..¨ ¨..,\†@#@#
#@@#&$\-,, ,,-\$&#@@#
###@§$*†,. .,†*$§@###
#@#&$*/,¨. .¨,/*$&#@#