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