~,¨,.,..¨¨                                          ¨¨..,.,¨,~
~.,,..,,,¨                                          ¨,,,..,,.~
.,,¨.,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,.¨,,.
,¨¨..¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨..¨¨,
¨¨...,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,...¨¨
,¨.,.¨,.,.                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 ...:»\§&§#
##£$$^»~¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨~»^$$£##
##@@£$*~-.                                          .-~*$£@@##
#@£*§†«,,.                                          .,,«†§*£@#
@@@=*«,.,,                                          ,,.,«*=@@@
¤§†:«-.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.-«:†§¤
¤^\~^.,,,.                                          .,,,.^~\^¤
§=«..,,.,.                                          .,.,,..«=§