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