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