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