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