.,,,..,¨,.                                          .,¨,..,,,.
,.¨.,¨.,,¨                                          ¨,,.¨,.¨.,
=-.¨¨¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨¨¨.-=
\~-.¨,..,¨                                          ¨,..,¨.-~\
%*»:..¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨..:»*%
$%/--..¨¨,                statuette                 ,¨¨..--/%$
£@§*»:.,¨.                                          .¨,.:»*§@£
#¤§†;-^¨¨¨ ¤§¤*§%&£%£$@%$¤@»«»=-«»~*§%¤%¤@%$*¤%*@%§ ¨¨¨^-;†§¤#
@@&§%=~.,,                 &§%$¤%§$§                ,,.~=%§&@@
###£@^/«~.                                          .~«/^@£###
#£§%=/=-¨. forests around my  childhood home. thick .¨-=/=%§£#
@££=^~~,,, pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ,,,~~^=££@
&%$*=..,.¨      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.              .¨¨,...,¨.
:¨..,¨,,..                                          ..,,¨,..¨:
-~¨..¨¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨¨..¨~-
/«~,..¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨..,~«/
^^~:¨.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.¨:~^^
$*;-,,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,,-;*$
§¤†:»:.¨..                                          ..¨.:»:†¤§