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