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