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