-,.,,.¨,,,                                          ,,,¨.,,.,-
.¨.¨¨¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨¨¨.¨.
.,.¨¨.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.¨¨.,.
.¨..¨..,.¨                                          ¨.,..¨..¨.
¨¨¨¨.,.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.,.¨¨¨¨
.¨.¨,,¨¨..                 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.              .¨¨,¨¨¨,¨,
,.,.,¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨,.,.,
¨.,,,¨.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.¨,,,.¨
¨¨,,,,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,,,,¨¨
,.¨,,,.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.,,,¨.,
¨¨,,¨,¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨,¨,,¨¨
,¨.,,,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,,,.¨,