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