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