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