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