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