&$**-^¨.,,                                          ,,.¨^-**$&
£%:=,.,,.¨                                          ¨.,,.,=:%£
††~,,¨,...                                          ...,¨,,~††
=»~,,¨,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,¨,,~»=
~,..¨¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨¨..,~
/»,.,¨¨¨,.                 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.              .,¨,.¨-~\$
=~-...¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨...-~=
-~,,¨,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,¨,,~-
*~,¨,,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,,¨,~*
†\~,,.,,,¨                                          ¨,,,.,,~\†
$*=-,,.,..                                          ..,.,,-=*$
¤@%†»,.¨..                                          ..¨.,»†%@¤