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