=~~¨,,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,,¨~~=
-:¨,¨¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨¨,¨:-
-..,,.¨.¨. .¨.¨.,,..-
~^,,,¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨,,,^~
†»......,¨ ¨,......»†
$†~,¨,,¨.¨ statuette ¨.¨,,¨,~†$
§%§-:.¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨.:-§%§
##*%»-,.¨. £%$%$&@&%£¤@@&¤¤~~~~==«»&&&£$£§&%¤£%£*@$ .¨.,-»%*##
@¶@&%»..., %£%&@§£$$ ,...»%&@¶@
#@¶§§*»-¨¨ ¨¨-»*§§¶@#
###@#%§»,. forests around my childhood home. thick .,»§%#@###
###&*^~:¨, pine arcades that were planted and ,¨:~^*&###
@¶&$§=.,,¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨,,.=§$&¶@
@§&%~:¨..¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨..¨:~%&§@
§%%=-¨,.,, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,,.,¨-=%%§
£=»-.,¨¨,. already soaked up all the sun. .,¨¨,.-»=£
*«,,¨¨¨,,¨ ¨,,¨¨¨,,«*
»,.¨¨,,¨.¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨.¨,,¨¨.,»
:.¨..¨,,¨. to west, getting broader and deeper and .¨,,¨..¨.:
~:¨¨¨¨..,, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,,..¨¨¨¨:~
=-,¨¨.¨¨., where the pine hands start to let ,.¨¨.¨¨,-=
%$~^...,,. through light, horsemint on the rocky .,,...^~$%
¤*%~,.,¨¨. river bed. .¨¨,.,~%*¤
#@¤§«.¨.¨. .¨.¨.«§¤@#
@#@$%-:,.¨ = ¨.,:-%$@#@
###§£§«.,, ,,.«§£§###
####&&*»-. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .-»*&&####
####§^»,.. they had been a swampworld with sylvan ..,»^§####
@@¤$%-,.,¨ water, stone rings and floating moss. ¨,.,-%$¤@@
#£%^~~¨¨¨¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨¨¨¨~~^%£#
&%%~,¨,,,¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨,,,¨,~%%&
£§--¨¨,¨,. bitten. .,¨,¨¨--§£
$=^,.¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨.,^=$
~:¨.,,,,,, but now i'm further back, on solid ,,,,,,.¨:~
..,¨,¨,.¨¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨¨.,¨,¨,..
«,¨,¨.,,.¨ orange tin radio and a translucent ¨.,,.¨,¨,«
%»..¨,.,¨, umbrella which i'm sitting on. ,¨,.,¨..»%
$^~^.¨,,,¨ ¨,,,¨.^~^$
#¤^=:.,¨., * ,.¨,.:=^¤#
¶¤@%-~.... ....~-%@¤¶
#@¤&*~:,¨. somethings moving in the grass. it's .¨,:~*&¤@#
##¶£§$~.,. invisible to my eyes but i can feel .,.~$§£¶##
###£@%%»^¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨^»%%@£###
##¶¤$§=^.. ..^=§$¤¶##
###*†«-,,¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨,,-«†*###
¶@%^«,.¨.. to get up, still looking at the ..¨.,«^%@¶
£¤*~.¨,¨.¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨.¨,¨.~*¤£
$$«-,¨¨¨¨, 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. ,,,.=$$##@
##@§%*=.,¨ ¨,.=*%§@##
##@#¤**«~, ,~«**¤#@##
#@£££%-:,, ,,:-%£££@#
@@£%%«,.¨, ,¨.,«%%£@@
£¤£§»^,,¨¨ ¨¨,,^»§£¤£
&£†~,,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,,~†£&