##@¶&£%^^. .^^%£&¶@##
##@§¤§†^., ,.^†§¤§@##
##@##£*/., ,./*£##@##
#@@§@$;,.¨ ¨.,;$@§@@#
##@#¤$^\:, ,:\^$¤#@##
#@#¤%%†^,, 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 ,,,;§$&¶##
###£§%=/,, particle board for it to dry on, but ,,/=%§£###
##@££%*,,. she is worried and wants me to .,,*%££@##
##@¶#%%/., throw it away. ,./%%#¶@##
##@#%=;~.. ..~;=%#@##
###@£@$†~, ,~†$@£@###
##££$*†,.. ..,†*$££##
###£&£†/~¨ ¨~/†£&£###
##¶&§%^,,¨ ¨,,^%§&¶##
####§§%\,¨ ¨,\%§§####