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