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