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