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