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