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