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