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