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