$\»,.,.,,. .,,.,.,»\$
&*†~~,,,.. ..,,,~~†*&
&%%\«:,¨¨, ,¨¨,:«\%%&
@£*$*»,¨¨. .¨¨,»*$*£@
#¶&%$†~^¨, ,¨^~†$%&¶#
##¶¤&†\=,. statuette .,=\†&¤¶##
###%*\«,,. .,,«\*%###
#@$†/~,,,. *£%@%¤$%%%$@*%@$-==~~~»-@§$@$£$¤§$£@%$@@ .,,,~/†$@#
#$†\~:.,¨¨ §%$$§%£&* ¨¨,.:~\†$#
&†=»:¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨:»=†&
^†=:¨..,., forests around my childhood home. thick ,.,..¨:=†^
/»-,...,,. pine arcades that were planted and .,,...,-»/
~,.,.,,,¨. forgotten. wild boars roaming .¨,,,.,.,~
-,,¨.,,,.. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ..,,,.¨,,-
¨.¨.¨...¨, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,¨...¨.¨.¨
.,¨.¨¨¨,,¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨,,¨¨¨.¨,.
,.,¨.,.¨., ,.¨.,.¨,.,
,,¨..,..,. there's a river passing by, from east .,..,..¨,,
..¨.,..,,, to west, getting broader and deeper and ,,,..,.¨..
,,,¨,¨¨.¨. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .¨.¨¨,¨,,,
»^,,.¨.¨., where the pine hands start to let ,.¨.¨.,,^»
;«:,¨.,,.¨ through light, horsemint on the rocky ¨.,,.¨,:«;
$;«,.¨.,¨, river bed. ,¨,.¨.,«;$
$%=~,¨,.¨. .¨.,¨,~=%$
§$%=«~¨.., † ,..¨~«=%$§
@¤§*=-,.¨. .¨.,-=*§¤@
##¤%=\=~., the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ,.~=\=%¤##
##@@$$:~:. 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. ..,~*%%££#
@&%%/=:¨,¨ ¨,¨:=/%%&@
&$$:-,¨.¨, ,¨.¨,-:$$&
&§^«^,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,^«^§&
=/~-..¨.,¨ ¨,.¨..-~/=
;«.,¨,,.., ,..,,¨,.«;
~.¨¨,¨.¨¨, ,¨¨.¨,¨¨.~