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