###@#&%/,, ,,/%&#@###
##@££%=^,. .,^=%££@##
@¶£§=\^.., ,..^\=§£¶@
#§%%=^.,,. .,,.^=%%§#
&**†:.¨¨,. .,¨¨.:†**&
§%:~¨,,,.¨ 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. ..,,,,,¨,-
;:,¨....,¨ ¨,....¨,:;
†/:¨,.¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.,¨:/†
*$*~..,,,¨ ¨,,,..~*$*
§$†*:¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨:*†$§
##@*^,,¨,, ,,¨,,^*@##
#@@***:,,¨ ¨,,:***@@#