~~,¨,¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨,¨,~~
:~.,.,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,.,.~:
=/=~.,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,.~=/=
§=\«~,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,~«\=§
&&^:=..¨..                                          ..¨..=:^&&
#§%†:~~¨.¨                 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, ,¨^~^$£¤#@
###£&=:=~¨ and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my ¨~=:=&£###
###§%/~:¨¨             other belongings.            ¨¨:~/%§###
@#@%^--.,¨                                          ¨,.--^%@#@
#§%=-^.,,. it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked .,,.^-=%§#
¤%*=~¨...¨ on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, ¨...¨~=*%¤
§*~:¨,¨¨.¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨.¨¨,¨:~*§
==,¨,,¨,¨. freshly made, not yet  completely dried. .¨,¨,,¨,==
=-¨...¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨...¨-=
~.,..,¨¨¨. my mom  is here now. i  ask her for some .¨¨¨,..,.~
,¨.¨,.¨,.¨ particle board  for it  to dry  on,  but ¨.,¨.,¨.¨,
,,.,,,,,,. she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to .,,,,,,.,,
~:,.,,,..¨              throw it away.              ¨..,,,.,:~
:-,¨..¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨..¨,-:
*;~..¨..,.                                          .,..¨..~;*
¤%/»,.,,.,                                          ,.,,.,»/%¤
&¤%;».¨..,                                          ,..¨.»;%¤&
@&§§\».,,¨                                          ¨,,.»\§§&@
##¤@$;~^..                                          ..^~;$@¤##