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