##@#£%*=:. .:=*%£#@##
###£¤/«~¨¨ ¨¨~«/¤£###
#¶@$/~,,¨. .¨,,~/$@¶#
@£§/~,,¨.. ..¨,,~/§£@
§§;=~¨,.¨. .¨.,¨~=;§§
@§$*»..,.. statuette ..,..»*$§@
##@£:«-,¨. .¨,-«:£@##
###&*=--¨. $¤£$$$*§§$&*$*£$««-»--»~$£$@¤$¤£*&%£&&*$ .¨--=*&###
###¶¤¤†»:¨ *££¤£££%* ¨:»†¤¤¶###
###§£;=,¨¨ ¨¨,=;£§###
#¶£$==~¨,¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨,¨~==$£¶#
#&&*=-.¨¨. 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. ,.«\%#####
##¶£%\~:¨. .¨:~\%£¶##
@#£&=«.¨¨, ,¨¨.«=&£#@
#@&;=,¨,.. ..,¨,=;&@#
¤£†~..,¨,, ,,¨,..~†£¤
#§%†~..¨.. ..¨..~†%§#
#@§%^»:,.¨ ¨.,:»^%§@#