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