###£§†=:,,                                          ,,:=†§£###
#£§§†=,¨,,                                          ,,¨,=†§§£#
¶@§†«~¨¨..                                          ..¨¨~«†§@¶
¤§*»~¨.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.¨~»*§¤
%*=..,,,..                                          ..,,,..=*%
*~:¨..¨.,.                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.              ..¨...,.,-
-....,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,....-
¨.¨¨..¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨..¨¨.¨
,,.,...¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨...,.,,
,¨.,.¨,.¨.                                          .¨.,¨.,.¨,
.¨,¨...¨¨.                                          .¨¨...¨,¨.
¨...¨.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.¨...¨