/-,¨¨,.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.,¨¨,-/
«^.,.¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨.,.^«
,,¨,..¨¨..                                          ..¨¨..,¨,,
.,,¨.¨.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.¨.¨,,.
,,,..¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨..,,,
,,,,.¨.¨.,                 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.              ..¨.¨.¨¨,.
.¨..,,...¨                                          ¨...,,..¨.
,¨,.,¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨,.,¨,
-:.¨¨¨¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨¨¨¨.:-
=-,¨,¨,¨,.                                          .,¨,¨,¨,-=
%:=-.¨...¨                                          ¨...¨.-=:%
@%^--.....                                          .....--^%@