,.,,-«†%$&                                          &$%†«-,,.,
.¨¨¨..-=%¤                                          ¤%=-..¨¨¨.
,.¨,.,^»*=                                          =*»^,.,¨.,
.¨¨¨.¨¨^»:                                          :»^¨¨.¨¨¨.
,,¨.¨¨,,,~                                          ~,,,¨¨.¨,,
,...,¨,¨,,                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.              ,¨¨.,¨¨.¨,
.,..¨.,.,¨                                          ¨,.,.¨..,.
¨,¨,.¨¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨¨.,¨,¨
¨.,¨,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,¨,.¨
,..¨.,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,.¨..,
.,,,¨,.,¨~                                          ~¨,.,¨,,,.
¨........-                                          -........¨