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