###@§£§†~~ ~~†§£§@###
##@£¤%†--, ,--†%¤£@##
###¶£*$;«, ,«;$*£¶###
##@#&%=-~. .~-=%@##
##@@¤%††»~ ~»††%¤@@##
#@@§$%;«,. statuette .,«;%$§@@#
##@£&&*†-- --†*&&£@##
###§§$†»-¨ *£§¤$¤£§&$**£$*@~»~=»»~-£&$&£%£££%£%@$£& ¨-»†$§§###
##@@¤¤§^»: £%$%&$¤$$ :»^§¤¤@@##
###@%=*=~, ,~=*=%@###
###@£$*\»~ forests around my childhood home. thick ~»\*$£@###
###@$%=«,¨ pine arcades that were planted and ¨,«=%$@###
##@£&%†:~, 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. -~\§§£@###
##@&&=;~.¨ ¨.~;=&&@##
####££§=~~ ~~=§££####
#@@#%$=».¨ ¨.»=$%#@@#
##@@¤@*\~~ ~~\*@¤@@##
##@££%*~~, ,~~*%££@##
##@##@*^»: :»^*@##@##