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