«,,¨.,.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.,.¨,,«
\«:..,,,,,                                          ,,,,,..:«\
*†-^,.¨,,.                                          .,,¨.,^-†*
£=*»^¨..¨.                                          .¨..¨^»*=£
#£§^»-.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.-»^§£#
#@@*/~:,,¨                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.             ¨,^=\%@###
#¶¤*†-,..¨                                          ¨..,-†*¤¶#
@£$\~.,¨¨. it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked .¨¨,.~\$£@
§*^~.¨¨,¨¨ on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, ¨¨,¨¨.~^*§
§:»,.¨,¨¨.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .¨¨,¨.,»:§
\~~,¨..,., freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ,.,..¨,~~\
»^¨,.¨¨..¨                                          ¨..¨¨.,¨^»
:¨..¨.,,¨. my mom is  here now. i  ask her for some .¨,,.¨..¨:
.,¨.¨.,¨,. particle board  for  it to  dry  on, but .,¨,.¨.¨,.
.,,,¨¨,,¨. she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to .¨,,¨¨,,,.
~:.¨...,,,              throw it away.              ,,,...¨.:~
†~~.¨.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.¨.~~†
**»^,¨.¨,.                                          .,¨.¨,^»**
&=:~~¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨~~:=&
¶#%†»~,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,~»†%#¶
@@#$/»-,,,                                          ,,,-»/$#@@
#@££§:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:§££@#