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