:~~,...,,, ,,,...,~~:
%^=,¨.,.., ,..,.¨,=^%
§*:=,¨,,,¨ ¨,,,¨,=:*§
&@*^-:.,,, ,,,.:-^*@&
#¤$%*~.¨., ,.¨.~*%$¤#
#@£§§/«:., 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 .¨~~†**&@#
@@$§^-:.,, throw it away. ,,.:-^§$@@
#@*:«,.,,¨ ¨,,.,«:*@#
*%†«,¨¨¨,. .,¨¨¨,«†%*
=;-,,¨¨.., ,..¨¨,,-;=
;=~¨¨...,¨ ¨,...¨¨~=;
~,,,¨¨,¨.¨ ¨.¨,¨¨,,,~
,,,,¨¨.,.. ..,.¨¨,,,,