##@&*=^»,. .,»^=*&@##
###£&%*-~. .~-*%&£###
###@$%^»-. .-»^%$@###
@¶££:;:~,¨ ¨,~:;:££¶@
##££$^:~,. .,~:^$££##
####§$^=-¨ statuette ¨-=^$§####
##¶#£*/=^. .^=/*£#¶##
###¤%%^~:, &*¤§$%$$*%%@%§££«»-~»»»»%$§£$@*%@$*$£@$£ ,:~^%%¤###
#¶&¤§†=»,, £$¤£%$%££ ,,»=†§¤&¶#
#@@&§*^=:¨ ¨:=^*§&@@#
@@@§§$*~^¨ 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 .~»=%£$$%£
&&&§%=;»,, backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ,,»;=%§&&&
#@£&%^;=,, radio (now dented) but also a small ,,=;^%&£@#
@&%@@$*«,. clay figure i've never seen before. it .,«*$@@%&@
¶$;.,.¨¨., must have been laying in the wet dirt, ,.¨¨.,.;$¶
#¤%^».¨,., and i must've picked it up with my ,.,¨.»^%¤#
###£$^;»., other belongings. ,.»;^$£###
#§@%¤§=~,. .,~=§¤%@§#
@#£¤&$*-,¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ¨,-*$&¤£#@
§$=*,.,¨.. on her stomach, feet in the air, ..¨,.,*=$§
¤%*--,,,¨¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨¨,,,--*%¤
@¤§^~,..., freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,...,~^§¤@
###£%*\-,, ,,-\*%£###
@%^$~-.,,, my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,,,.-~$^%@
#@#££§=~,, particle board for it to dry on, but ,,~=§££#@#
@#@@%$;-,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,-;$%@@#@
££=~.¨¨,¨¨ throw it away. ¨¨,¨¨.~=££
##£#¤=/~^. .^~/=¤#£##
##£#£%;=-. .-=;%£#£##
¤&$$†^^,¨¨ ¨¨,^^†$$&¤
#@@%«,¨.,, ,,.¨,«%@@#
@£#¤&*:»:, ,:»:*&¤#£@
##@@%*;».. ..»;*%@@##