##@;*\;~,. .,~;\*;@##
##@§¤§*~:, ,:~*§¤§@##
#$=/†,^,.¨ ¨.,^,†/=$#
£*§\-.,... ...,.-\§*£
@£&§*%/»^. .^»/%*§&£@
##@¤$*/»~, statuette ,~»/*$¤@##
###@§§†«^¨ ¨^«†§§@###
&§%$**\«~¨ *%$@$££*$$¤£&@¤%=~--~«~-$@£$¤£%££*%@%*£% ¨~«\**$%§&
&%=/=-.^,. £§%%*$&¤% .,^.-=/=%&
¤=†~=.,,., ,.,,.=~†=¤
§£*$=,¨,.¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨.,¨,=$*£§
@*~.,.,,¨, pine arcades that were planted and ,¨,,.,.~*@
##@§*§†=~¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨~=†§*§@##
##@§@^/=,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,=/^@§@##
#@@@£*=~:¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨:~=*£@@@#
##@#£$/»^. already soaked up all the sun. .^»/$£#@##
@£*--..,¨¨ ¨¨,..--*£@
#*=..,,¨.¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨.¨,,..=*#
#¤@$$**=,, 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. .¨..~=†¤£#
##£#§$/»^. .^»/$§#£##
#¤¤£*^=«-. .-«=^*£¤¤#
#£%£*\;~.¨ ¨.~;\*£%£#
§£=:-.,,¨. .¨,,.-:=£§
#%$$»,¨.¨, ,¨.¨,»$$%#
#§§§@*\»^¨ ¨^»\*@§§§#