#@£*=*=-,¨ ¨,-=*=*£@#
##¶£@$\-:. .:-\$@£¶##
#¶£$†^«,., ,.,«^†$£¶#
@&*^=»^,.¨ ¨.,^»=^*&@
@#¤¤%/=,.¨ ¨.,=/%¤¤#@
#@¶#$$*~,. statuette .,~*$$#¶@#
@#@%%:«-,¨ ¨,-«:%%@#@
#¤¤*/~-... ¤@£%@$&%§§££$£@$~«~=~~~-%%@£%%£§¤&$&$$@& ...-~/*¤¤#
#£#$†\»^¨¨ £@%%@$¤*@ ¨¨^»\†$#£#
#@£@£*\=:, ,:=\*£@£@#
#@#$§=~.,. forests around my childhood home. thick .,.~=§$#@#
£&%*/~^¨¨, pine arcades that were planted and ,¨¨^~/*%&£
@@¤§^/-,¨¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨¨,-/^§¤@@
##¶¤%$^~-¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨-~^$%¤¶##
@#@@*\~:.. is dark and moist, the canopy having ..:~\*@@#@
#¤$*†=.¨,, already soaked up all the sun. ,,¨.=†*$¤#
##@*^^~:.. ..:~^^*@##
##¶£§§;=,¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨,=;§§£¶##
#@&@*;«,,¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨,,«;*@&@#
@£§^*-.¨., slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,.¨.-*^§£@
#@¤¤=;=,.¨ where the pine hands start to let ¨.,=;=¤¤@#
##£@@^^~~. through light, horsemint on the rocky .~~^^@@£##
#@@&^\~:,. river bed. .,:~\^&@@#
#¤&%\=,¨,, ,,¨,=\%&¤#
#£§£†/=-.. ^ ..-=/†£§£#
##¶#§=/~., ,.~/=§#¶##
#@#$*^~,,, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,,,~^*$#@#
@¤@†^«-.,. they had been a swampworld with sylvan .,.-«^†@¤@
@¶#&%†=,¨. water, stone rings and floating moss. .¨,=†%&#¶@
##¶¤¤=\~-. you could've found me wallowing around .-~\=¤¤¶##
##&¤=\~-¨, on the southern shores until i got ,¨-~\=¤&##
¶¤@%;-..,¨ bitten. ¨,..-;%@¤¶
#@££$^«-,. .,-«^$££@#
##@§$§^~~. but now i'm further back, on solid .~~^§$§@##
@¶¤%*^~,¨. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an .¨,~^*%¤¶@
££@$*~,,,. orange tin radio and a translucent .,,,~*$@££
#@£*§=--,. umbrella which i'm sitting on. .,--=§*£@#
##@&*^*«,. .,«*^*&@##
#@&£§†~.,, = ,,.~†§£&@#
#£%§/~^¨¨, ,¨¨^~/§%£#
##¤$%*»~,. somethings moving in the grass. it's .,~»*%$¤##
###£$^;=-, invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,-=;^$£###
###£*:»~.¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨.~»:*£###
@&¤^^».,.. ..,.»^^¤&@
#£@$$:~.., 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. .¨:~\§¤&@#
###¤§%;«~, ,~«;%§¤###
##&£§†=~.. ..~=†§£&##
££*§^--¨., ,.¨--^§*££
##¤&*†=~.¨ ¨.~=†*&¤##
##@§%%/»,¨ ¨,»/%%§@##
@##@†\»~.¨ ¨.~»\†@##@