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