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