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