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