.¨,.¨¨..,,                                          ,,..¨¨.,¨.
¨,.,.,¨,.,                                          ,.,¨,.,.,¨
,.¨,...¨..                                          ..¨...,¨.,
~~¨,,¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨,,¨~~
/-,¨¨.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.¨¨,-/
*/~^..¨¨..                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 ¨,,,.¨~»:%
$%†«:.¨,.,              throw it away.              ,.,¨.:«†%$
£%==~,,..¨                                          ¨..,,~==%£
#@%=:«,,¨.                                          .¨,,«:=%@#
###§§^~:,¨                                          ¨,:~^§§###
##££$%/~,¨                                          ¨,~/%$££##
#£¤&††»^,¨                                          ¨,^»††&¤£#
£#§$=~-.,¨                                          ¨,.-~=$§#£