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