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