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