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