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