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