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