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