,,.,¨..¨,¨                                          ¨,¨..¨,.,,
,.¨,,¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨,,¨.,
,,.,.¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨.,.,,
¨,.¨.,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,.¨.,¨
¨..¨,¨.,,.                                          .,,.¨,¨..¨
¨,.,¨,¨¨¨¨                 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.              ,.¨,¨,.¨,~
,.¨,.,.¨..                                          ..¨.,.,¨.,
,.¨,,¨,...                                          ...,¨,,¨.,
.,,,,¨,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,¨,,,,.
¨¨¨¨,,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,,¨¨¨¨
¨..¨,.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.,¨..¨
,.,,.¨¨.,,                                          ,,.¨¨.,,.,