##@@%\=~,¨ ¨,~=\%@@##
###@§%†~-, ,-~†%§@###
##@§=:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:=§@##
#¶§$^=,.,¨ ¨,.,=^$§¶#
#¤%=«-,... ...,-«=%¤#
#$;»~.,.,, statuette ,,.,.~»;$#
^;=-¨,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,¨-=;^
\=.¨...¨¨¨ %%¤&¤£&*$%¤%@&&$»»«~==-~**$*£$*%§¤£&%¤@$ ¨¨¨...¨.=\
-.,,,¨..,, $%%&§£££@ ,,..¨,,,.-
~,,,¨..,,, ,,,..¨,,,~
,,,...¨,,. forests around my childhood home. thick .,,¨...,,,
-,.¨,.¨¨¨, pine arcades that were planted and ,¨¨¨.,¨.,-
-:..¨.¨¨,, forgotten. wild boars roaming ,,¨¨.¨..:-
\«,¨,..¨,. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it .,¨..,¨,«\
*^»,.,.,.¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨.,.,.,»^*
§**~^.¨.,. already soaked up all the sun. .,.¨.^~**§
¶£*/«^.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.^«/*£¶
#£&%\~-¨,. there's a river passing by, from east .,¨-~\%&£#
#@@@%\=,,. to west, getting broader and deeper and .,,=\%@@@#
####§$\~,. 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. ¨,,«=§@£##
####&=/~,¨ ¨,~/=&####
##¶&*:~.¨¨ ¨¨.~:*&¶##
#¶£^;~,,.¨ ¨.,,~;^£¶#
¶@$/=:¨.., ,..¨:=/$@¶
¤%†»-¨¨..¨ ¨..¨¨-»†%¤
*^=:.¨..,. .,..¨.:=^*