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