¨¨¨¨.,,¨..                                          ..¨,,.¨¨¨¨
¨,¨,¨..¨¨.                                          .¨¨..¨,¨,¨
.,¨¨¨¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨¨¨¨,.
:.¨¨,.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.,¨¨.:
»,,..,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,..,,»
:~:..¨¨.,¨                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.              ,,.¨¨.¨,..
,.¨,¨,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,¨,¨.,
..,¨,¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨,¨,..
-.¨.,.....                                          .....,.¨.-
«-..¨¨¨...                                          ...¨¨¨..-«
\«,¨¨¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨¨¨,«\
†\=,,¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨,,=\†