*^*--,..,,                                          ,,..,--*^*
*:«,¨.¨.,.                                          .,.¨.¨,«:*
;«~.,....,                                          ,....,.~«;
~.¨,¨,¨...                                          ...¨,¨,¨.~
-,....,..¨                                          ¨..,....,-
,,,¨.,,.¨,                 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.              ¨,.,,.¨,,¨
.,,¨,.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.,¨,,.
¨¨....¨.,.                                          .,.¨....¨¨
¨¨¨,,,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,,,¨¨¨
,¨,.¨..¨.¨                                          ¨.¨..¨.,¨,
«,,.¨¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨¨.,,«
;~^¨,,¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨,,¨^~;