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