##@#&$^=-¨ ¨-=^$&#@##
##@£$;-.,. .,.-;$£@##
#@§==«.¨,. .,¨.«==§@#
@$%\».,¨¨. .¨¨,.»\%$@
¤*==:,,.., ,..,,:==*¤
$:~^¨,.,¨¨ statuette ¨¨,.,¨^~:$
;«,¨..,¨., ,.¨,..¨,«;
-,..¨.,¨¨¨ §%%§%£§§@$*%%*§&~»=-~~~»££§@%%$@&***&$*$ ¨¨¨,.¨..,-
-¨¨¨,¨.¨,, %%&£%$£&* ,,¨.¨,¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨.,.,¨. .¨,.,.¨¨¨¨
....,,.,¨. forests around my childhood home. thick .¨,.,,....
,..¨,,¨,,, pine arcades that were planted and ,,,¨,,¨..,
¨.,,¨¨,¨., forgotten. wild boars roaming ,.¨,¨¨,,.¨
,,,.,¨¨¨,¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨,¨¨¨,.,,,
:,.¨,¨,¨,¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨,¨,¨,¨.,:
-,.¨,..¨¨. already soaked up all the sun. .¨¨..,¨.,-
/»:¨,.¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.,¨:»/
*†=^.,.¨,. there's a river passing by, from east .,¨.,.^=†*
§%*=~..¨¨, to west, getting broader and deeper and ,¨¨..~=*%§
#%^*«.¨,.¨ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ¨.,¨.«*^%#
#@§%^=..., where the pine hands start to let ,...=^%§@#
#@@**†»,¨. through light, horsemint on the rocky .¨,»†**@@#
###@¤§;~,. river bed. .,~;§¤@###
##£@=\~,¨, ,¨,~\=@£##
#@&$^~,¨,¨ † ¨,¨,~^$&@#
¶$=;=,,,,. .,,,,=;=$¶
$%†»..¨¨., the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,.¨¨..»†%$
*:~^.¨.,,, 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. ¨....¨¨:«/
=:¨¨..,,., ,.,,..¨¨:=
,..,.,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,.,..,
,..,,¨.¨.¨ ¨.¨.¨,,..,
¨,...¨..,, ,,..¨...,¨
,,.,,,,¨,¨ ¨,¨,,,,.,,
.,.,,¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨,,.,.