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