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