#£&%%^=-,. .,-=^%%&£#
####£^\=,, ,,=\^£####
#@§&*/~~., ,.~~/*&§@#
££&§\~^..¨ ¨..^~\§&££
@$$:«.,... ...,.«:$$@
*%*~^.¨.¨, 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 ¨....~:%&§
£$/~.,,¨,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,¨,,.~/$£
$^=^.,,,.. throw it away. ..,,,.^=^$
*~:¨.¨,,,, ,,,,¨.¨:~*
-~.,,¨.¨.. ..¨.¨,,.~-
:.¨¨¨¨,¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨¨¨¨.:
.,¨¨.,.¨., ,.¨.,.¨¨,.
¨,.,,¨.¨,. .,¨.¨,,.,¨
¨,,,¨.,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,.¨,,,¨