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