@&%/-,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,-/%&@
%%*~,,.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.,,~*%%
^:»,¨..,¨.                                          .¨,..¨,»:^
/»,.,.,,.,                                          ,.,,.,.,»/
=~,,.¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨.,,~=
~.¨,,.¨¨,¨                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.              ...¨~=^§%@
£*\»~¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨~»\*£
=^~:¨,¨,..                                          ..,¨,¨:~^=
*~.,,,..¨.                                          .¨..,,,.~*
--,.,,,.,.                                          .,.,,,.,--
,,¨¨,,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,,¨¨,,
¨,¨¨¨,.,.,                                          ,.,.,¨¨¨,¨