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