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