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