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