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