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