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