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