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