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