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