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