###¤^:=^,, ,,^=:^¤###
#@@^*=:¨.. ..¨:=*^@@#
@¤%:=~,,,, ,,,,~=:%¤@
#$\~,¨¨.., ,..¨¨,~\$#
%;=-...¨,, ,,¨...-=;%
;~,.,,¨,., 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. ¨¨,¨,,..:-
~¨¨,...,,. .,,...,¨¨~
..¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨..
,.,,,.,¨., ,.¨,.,,,.,
.,.,¨¨.¨¨, ,¨¨.¨¨,.,.
,¨,,..¨¨,, ,,¨¨..,,¨,
.¨,.¨¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨¨.,¨.