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