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