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