»-....¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨....-»
†-:¨,¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨,¨:-†
£§=~¨¨,¨,,                                          ,,¨,¨¨~=§£
£@†~.¨..,.                                          .,..¨.~†@£
¶£$†-:..¨¨                                          ¨¨..:-†$£¶
@¶¤§%~,.,¨                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 .,¨.,-»%£§
$*~-¨¨.,¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨,.¨¨-~*$
^-:¨¨.,.¨.                                          .¨.,.¨¨:-^
«...,,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,,...«
..¨,.,.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.,.,¨..
.,.,,¨,..,                                          ,..,¨,,.,.
.¨.,,,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,,,.¨.
¨¨,..,.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.,..,¨¨