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