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