¨¨¨¨~»††$# #$††»~¨¨¨¨
..¨.,.~=†£ £†=~.,.¨..
,...,.--†% %†--.,...,
,¨¨.,..-=^ ^=-..,.¨¨,
,,,...¨,,» »,,¨...,,,
,,.,¨,.¨.: 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. ¨..,,,,,,,
,.¨¨¨¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨¨¨¨.,
,,,,.,,.,. .,.,,.,,,,
,¨,¨.¨.,,. .,,.¨.¨,¨,
.¨.¨,...,¨ ¨,...,¨.¨.
.¨,..¨,¨¨^ ^¨¨,¨..,¨.
,,.,..,.^~ ~^.,..,.,,