@#§£*;-^., ,.^-;*£§#@
##@¤¤%†~~, ,~~†%¤¤@##
#¶¤¤=/~.,, ,,.~/=¤¤¶#
#¤$**=^..¨ ¨..^=**$¤#
£¤**=:¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨:=**¤£
§%==,,,..¨ 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. ¨,¨,.¨¨:«=
%;~:,,.,,¨ ¨,,.,,:~;%
£$=~^¨¨,,. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .,,¨¨^~=$£
§%$\=.¨.,. particle board for it to dry on, but .,.¨.=\$%§
#&§%=~.,¨. she is worried and wants me to .¨,.~=%§&#
##@¤§:»-,, throw it away. ,,-»:§¤@##
##£££%\~,¨ ¨,~\%£££##
@@&&$/»~,, ,,~»/$&&@@
¶¤£§=»^,.¨ ¨.,^»=§£¤¶
¤%§†=^¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨^=†§%¤
§**»..,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,..»**§
%†~^¨¨.,., ,.,.¨¨^~†%