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