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