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