=^,,,,¨,,, ,,,¨,,,,^=
,.¨¨,,...¨ ¨...,,¨¨.,
.,¨.,¨.,¨. .¨,.¨,.¨,.
~,,,¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨,,,~
»:¨,.¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨.,¨:»
;=,.,¨.,.¨ 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. ¨,.¨¨.¨..»
~,,,¨.¨,,, ,,,¨.¨,,,~
¨,¨¨,..¨., ,.¨..,¨¨,¨
,¨.,..¨... ...¨..,.¨,
~-¨¨,.,¨¨, ,¨¨,.,¨¨-~
=-,¨,.,.,, ,,.,.,¨,-=
%;»~¨.¨... ...¨.¨~»;%