@¤†;-:¨...                                          ...¨:-;†¤@
¤^*»^.¨..,                                          ,..¨.^»*^¤
$\»-,,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,,-»\$
^~:.,.¨,..                                          ..,¨.,.:~^
«...,¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨,...«
,¨,.,.,...                statuette                 ...,.,.,¨,
..,,.,.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.,.,,..
¨¨,,¨,.¨,, ££&¤$§@£%%%$$@£@---~»»»=$£$&%§£$*@$£$@%& ,,¨.,¨,,¨¨
.,¨.¨.,¨,¨                 ¤$£**£$%@                ¨,¨,.¨.¨,.
¨¨,.,¨.¨.,                                          ,.¨.¨,.,¨¨
,.¨¨¨..¨¨. forests around my childhood  home. thick .¨¨..¨¨¨.,
.,¨¨¨..... pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and .....¨¨¨,.
.,¨¨¨,¨¨,¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨,¨¨,¨¨¨,.
,.¨.¨¨¨.,, underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ,,.¨¨¨.¨.,
¨,,..¨.¨¨¨ is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having ¨¨¨.¨..,,¨
:¨.,¨,.,¨. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .¨,.,¨,.¨:
~,.¨,,..,¨                                          ¨,..,,¨.,~
^»,¨.¨.,,¨ there's  a  river passing by,  from east ¨,,.¨.¨,»^
*:».¨¨.,.¨ to  west, getting broader and deeper and ¨.,.¨¨.»:*
@%/-:.¨,.. slower  as it goes. equisetum grow  just ..,¨.:-/%@
#§$:=:¨¨¨. 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.              ,,..-~^%&@
@##=†=^,.¨                                          ¨.,^=†=##@
###¤%*«~,.                                          .,~«*%¤###
##@¶¤*:~^,                                          ,^~:*¤¶@##
##¶§^\-,.,                                          ,.,-\^§¶##
##@*=«~.¨.                                          .¨.~«=*@##
@@%^-,...,                                          ,...,-^%@@