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