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