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