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