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