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