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