##¶¤%^*.¨. .¨.*^%¤¶##
###¶£$%^-. .-^%$£¶###
#@£#§*;-,¨ ¨,-;*§#£@#
#@£@†=..¨, ,¨..=†@£@#
#@£$†.,¨,, ,,¨,.†$£@#
&&%*:.,,,, 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. ,¨,^=†&@#@
@@%%:~.... ....~:%%@@
§$*†~,.¨¨. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .¨¨.,~†*$§
£$\^¨...¨, particle board for it to dry on, but ,¨...¨^\$£
^;,.¨.,.¨. she is worried and wants me to .¨.,.¨.,;^
/,...¨¨.¨¨ throw it away. ¨¨.¨¨...,/
.¨,¨,,.¨,. .,¨.,,¨,¨.
*.¨¨.,.¨., ,.¨.,.¨¨.*
§;.¨¨,.¨¨. .¨¨.,¨¨.;§
*=^:¨¨,,¨¨ ¨¨,,¨¨:^=*
¤*$:^...¨, ,¨...^:$*¤
@&&^\,,¨¨. .¨¨,,\^&&@