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