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