.¨,,..¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨..,,¨.
-,.,¨,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,¨,.,-
\~^.,¨¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨¨,.^~\
==-,..¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨..,-==
£§\~^,.,.,                                          ,.,.,^~\§£
&%§=~-,¨¨,                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.              ¨¨..,.,,.,
=-,¨,.¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨.,¨,-=
/-^..¨,¨,.                                          .,¨,¨..^-/
==-.¨¨.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.¨¨.-==
%†:«.¨,.,.                                          .,.,¨.«:†%
&§^*«...¨¨                                          ¨¨...«*^§&
@&*=*~~.¨.                                          .¨.~~*=*&@