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