####&%\-,, ,,-\%&####
@†*%;-~,¨. .¨,~-;%*†@
##@§%%/~.. ..~/%%§@##
&§;«,,..,. .,..,,«;§&
&%$¤;^\~.. ..~\^;¤$%&
#@@¤¤=*~,¨ 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 ,:»=**£¶##
@£$\~-,,.. she is worried and wants me to ..,,-~\$£@
##¶££*\»-. throw it away. .-»\*££¶##
#@@@$^†=,¨ ¨,=†^$@@@#
###§§%†«-. .-«†%§§###
####¤*/=,¨ ¨,=/*¤####
#*;;†~~-¨, ,¨-~~†;;*#
#@@£%^:»:¨ ¨:»:^%£@@#
¶#%@^:/=^, ,^=/:^@%#¶