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