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