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