-~¨¨..,,.¨ ¨.,,..¨¨~-
:..,.¨.¨., ,.¨.¨.,..:
,,,....... .......,,,
¨....,¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨,....¨
.¨.,¨...,, ,,...¨,.¨.
,,.¨,.,¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨,¨.¨,...
,,.¨¨¨,¨., ,.¨,¨¨¨.,,
~~,¨¨¨¨.., ,..¨¨¨¨,~~
†=~,,.¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨.,,~=†
*=«:¨,.,.. ..,.,¨:«=*
**;~,.¨... ...¨.,~;**
££$:=^.,¨¨ ¨¨,.^=:$££