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