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