¨¨¨.,..,¨¨                                          ¨¨,..,.¨¨¨
,.,¨.¨¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨¨.¨,.,
~¨¨¨,...¨.                                          .¨...,¨¨¨~
»..¨,¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨,¨..»
*-,..,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,..,-*
%=«,..¨..¨                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.              .¨¨¨..¨,.¨
.,,¨¨,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,¨¨,,.
:,¨,..¨..,                                          ,..¨..,¨,:
»-...¨,..,                                          ,..,¨...-»
^~~,,,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,,,~~^
%=».,¨,,..                                          ..,,¨,.»=%
$†*»~¨¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨¨~»*†$