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