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