-¨,¨.¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨.¨,¨-
=^.¨¨..,¨¨ ¨¨,..¨¨.^=
/~,¨,..¨¨, ,¨¨..,¨,~/
*†~,¨¨,,,, ,,,,¨¨,~†*
§£*~~,,,¨. .¨,,,~~*£§
#&%;=,¨,,¨ 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. ,..¨.:=\@¤
£/~:,.,¨¨. .¨¨,.,:~/£
*-..,¨¨,,¨ ¨,,¨¨,..-*
«~.,¨.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.¨,.~«
^¨¨,...,¨¨ ¨¨,...,¨¨^
¨.¨,,¨.¨,. .,¨.¨,,¨.¨
.,¨,,¨¨¨,, ,,¨¨¨,,¨,.