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