¨.¨.,=*§§¶                                          ¶§§*=,.¨.¨
¨¨,:»;^$¶#                                          #¶$^;»:,¨¨
¨,,~†§§¶##                                          ##¶§§†~,,¨
.:«;*£¶###                                          ###¶£*;«:.
,,^~^=@###                                          ###@=^~^,,
.¨,~»†*&##                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.            $:».,,..,¨
,.,¨¨,,-»;                                          ;»-,,¨¨,.,
.¨.¨¨,¨.^= it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked =^.¨,¨¨.¨.
...¨,.¨.., on  her  stomach,  feet  in   the   air, ,..¨.,¨...
..¨..,,¨,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,¨,,..¨..
,,¨,...,¨~ freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ~¨,...,¨,,
...¨¨¨.,,-                                          -,,.¨¨¨...
¨..,,¨,~»^ my mom is  here now. i ask  her for some ^»~,¨,,..¨
,¨..¨.~»*= particle  board  for it to  dry  on, but =*»~.¨..¨,
..,.¨,-;*¤ she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ¤*;-,¨.,..
¨..,-=/*%@              throw it away.              @%*/=-,..¨
¨.,~»†^$@#                                          #@$^†»~,.¨
..-«;*§#@#                                          #@#§*;«-..
,^~=$§£###                                          ###£§$=~^,
¨¨,«:$¤###                                          ###¤$:«,¨¨
¨¨.,-/%¤¶#                                          #¶¤%/-,.¨¨
.,.,,«†*$@                                          @$*†«,,.,.