=«^...¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨...^«=
=;«-¨,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,¨-«;=
$=\=-,..,,                                          ,,..,-=\=$
££§^»,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,»^§££
@£%%/=,...                                          ...,=/%%£@
##§£%†«:,.                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.              ,.¨¨..¨¨..
,,¨,¨,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,¨,¨,,
..¨,¨.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.¨,¨..
..¨,¨,..,.                                          .,..,¨,¨..
,.¨,.¨,..¨                                          ¨..,¨.,¨.,
«~,¨¨.,,.¨                                          ¨.,,.¨¨,~«
=~,,.,..,¨                                          ¨,..,.,,~=