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