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