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