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