&%;-:¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨:-;%&
@£†^=.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.=^†£@
#@&%/»,... ...,»/%&@#
##¤¤§;».¨¨ ¨¨.»;§¤¤##
####$*\«,¨ ¨,«\*$####
#@@$§=~,¨. statuette .¨,~=§$@@#
#@¤=/»,¨.¨ ¨.¨,»/=¤@#
£%*=»^¨.¨, $£¤£¤%£§£$@@%$$&«=~=~~»»§@&&$$&*%¤*&¤£%¤ ,¨.¨^»=*%£
£$=«,.,¨¨, £%**%%¤§$ ,¨¨,.,«=$£
§/«~¨¨,,¨. .¨,,¨¨~«/§
^=^¨¨,,,., forests around my childhood home. thick ,.,,,¨¨^=^
=:¨,,.,,,¨ pine arcades that were planted and ¨,,,.,,¨:=
-..¨.¨.,.¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨.,.¨.¨..-
.,,..,...¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨...,..,,.
.,.,.¨¨,,, is dark and moist, the canopy having ,,,¨¨.,.,.
....¨,,¨¨. already soaked up all the sun. .¨¨,,¨....
.,,,¨¨..,. .,..¨¨,,,.
«~,.¨¨¨.¨¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨¨.¨¨¨.,~«
:-.¨,¨,¨¨¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨¨¨,¨,¨.-:
%;~,,¨¨.,. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .,.¨¨,,~;%
¤†^=-¨,¨., where the pine hands start to let ,.¨,¨-=^†¤
#%%:«,¨,,. through light, horsemint on the rocky .,,¨,«:%%#
@#£%:~..., river bed. ,...~:%£#@
#@&§=*~,¨. .¨,~*=§&@#
###¤$*/~~, : ,~~/*$¤###
###%$:--.. ..--:$%###
@£¤%=«~.,¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨,.~«=%¤£@
#$§^=^,¨.. 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. ..,¨....¨-
¨¨..¨..¨,, ,,¨..¨..¨¨
¨¨¨,.¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨.,¨¨¨
,,.¨¨,.,., ,.,.,¨¨.,,
,¨,,¨,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,¨,,¨,
=-,,¨.,.¨. .¨.,.¨,,-=
\~..,.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.,..~\