&**=«^..,¨ ¨,..^«=**&
#@$§/»-.¨. .¨.-»/§$@#
##££*†~,,. .,,~†*££##
###££^^-,, ,,-^^££###
##¤*$:-,¨¨ ¨¨,-:$*¤##
@¤&**-^,., 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 ¨,~-\%£&##
#@$=;«-¨,, she is worried and wants me to ,,¨-«;=$@#
£$=:«^..,. throw it away. .,..^«:=$£
@*†~~,..,. .,..,~~†*@
=/»,...¨., ,.¨...,»/=
*«~.,.,.., ,..,.,.~«*
»:¨¨.¨.,,. .,,.¨.¨¨:»
-¨.,...¨.. ..¨...,.¨-
...¨,¨..., ,...¨,¨...