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