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