#§£§:,,,., ,.,,,:§£§#
#££*$/,¨.. ..¨,/$*££#
###@£%\,., ,.,\%£@###
####£¤=^^¨ ¨^^=¤£####
###¤%^;-,¨ ¨,-;^%¤###
@##$†^:... statuette ...:^†$##@
#¤£*/:..,¨ ¨,..:/*£¤#
#£^/~¨,¨.¨ @&$$%*£@¤¤*£%%§£~-~~«~-~*£%&*$&£§$%£$&§$ ¨.¨,¨~/^£#
£%†:,...,, §%&$§&$§$ ,,...,:†%£
**,¨,.¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.,¨,**
*...¨,¨,.¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨.,¨,¨...*
-..¨.¨,,,. pine arcades that were planted and .,,,¨.¨..-
*^,¨¨,.¨,. forgotten. wild boars roaming .,¨.,¨¨,^*
==:..¨..¨¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨¨..¨..:==
*%=-,¨¨,.¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨.,¨¨,-=%*
¤§*^-¨..¨¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨¨..¨-^*§¤
¶£¤^†.,.., ,..,.†^¤£¶
##&%%\~..¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨..~\%%&##
#@£§%%;,.. to west, getting broader and deeper and ..,;%%§£@#
####¤%§\,¨ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ¨,\§%¤####
##£¤%$\,,. where the pine hands start to let .,,\$%¤£##
###$%:-¨¨. through light, horsemint on the rocky .¨¨-:%$###
@¤§%;,.... river bed. ....,;%§¤@
§$%;:.¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨.:;%$§
§%†-¨¨,¨,, = ,,¨,¨¨-†%§
$;.¨,¨...¨ ¨...¨,¨.;$
=^.¨.¨.,¨, the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,¨,.¨.¨.^=
^.¨.,.¨,.. they had been a swampworld with sylvan ..,¨.,.¨.^
;-.¨¨¨.,., water, stone rings and floating moss. ,.,.¨¨¨.-;
*=:¨,¨¨,¨. you could've found me wallowing around .¨,¨¨,¨:=*
$^\^¨.,,,¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨,,,.¨^\^$
&£%:,,,¨¨, bitten. ,¨¨,,,:%£&
@&£*=,,.,, ,,.,,=*£&@
@£#&*/,¨.. but now i'm further back, on solid ..¨,/*&#£@
#@@#$$*,.. 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. .,¨.¨¨-\*§
†^~.,,¨.,, ,,.¨,,.~^†
*,,,,¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨,,,,*
,.¨..¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨..¨.,
\,.¨¨¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨¨¨.,\
%:-....¨,, ,,¨....-:%
%^\^¨..¨,, ,,¨..¨^\^%