##&$==-,,¨ ¨,,-==$&##
##@£%%†«.. ..«†%%£@##
##§£$:«^.¨ ¨.^«:$£§##
@§§§;«:.,, ,,.:«;§§§@
§$*:»~..., ,...~»:*$§
¤$†«:¨.¨,. statuette .,¨.¨:«†$¤
†*=-.,.,¨¨ ¨¨,.,.-=*†
=~-,..¨¨., %§$%£%£$¤$%%&&%$-»-»»«--%%$¤$§%*@¤$£%&%% ,.¨¨..,-~=
=-,¨.¨,¨.. @*@*£%$&& ..¨,¨.¨,-=
-,,,,¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨,,,,-
»^¨¨.¨.¨,¨ 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 ..¨,.,~/$£
%†~.¨,.,,, particle board for it to dry on, but ,,,.,¨.~†%
\~,¨¨¨¨,¨, she is worried and wants me to ,¨,¨¨¨¨,~\
~,,.,¨..¨. throw it away. .¨..¨,.,,~
^...¨¨,,.. ..,,¨¨...^
=:...¨,¨.. ..¨,¨...:=
†~:.,.¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨.,.:~†
*;~,,,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,,,~;*
%†:-,¨¨,., ,.,¨¨,-:†%
#%$\~,,.¨¨ ¨¨.,,~\$%#