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