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