.¨,¨-»;$@# #@$;»-¨,¨.
¨.,.,.=;=* *=;=.,.,.¨
¨.,.,,-»=* *=»-,,.,.¨
¨,,¨¨..~-: :-~..¨¨,,¨
¨..,,.,.:~ ~:.,.,,..¨
.¨,¨¨¨.,,, 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. @@%*=,.,.,
,,¨¨,.~†§@ @§†~.,¨¨,,
,.¨¨,.-==§ §==-.,¨¨.,
.¨,¨¨.,^»\ \»^,.¨¨,¨.
..,.¨.¨.-~ ~-.¨.¨.,..
¨.¨,.¨..,. .,..¨.,¨.¨
,.,¨¨¨¨.,. .,.¨¨¨¨,.,