@%:=~¨.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.¨~=:%@
@$%;«^,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,^«;%$@
#¤$^*-^,..                                          ..,^-*^$¤#
@£@£*=~~,,                                          ,,~~=*£@£@
##£&¤=;»,.                                          .,»;=¤&£##
#@§$%†-^,¨                 statuette                ¨,^-†%$§@#
£¤§*\-:¨..                                          ..¨:-\*§¤£
£*=/-~,,¨. £@£&&$*$¤¤%$$%%&-»=»=~«»¤$@%¤&&@§@§¤¤$%£ .¨,,~-/=*£
%§\~^¨¨¨,.                @§&$$%£$&                 .,¨¨¨^~\§%
%/~~.,...¨                                          ¨...,.~~/%
\--¨,,.¨¨. forests around my childhood home.  thick .¨¨.,,¨--\
~.,¨¨¨¨,¨¨ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ¨¨,¨¨¨¨,.~
:~~.¨¨,.,¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨,.,¨¨.~~:
=^~~.,¨.,. underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it .,.¨,.~~^=
@%†=:..,,. is dark  and moist,  the  canopy  having .,,..:=†%@
@%$=~.,..¨ 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.              ¨.¨^~;*%§@
#¶£$^;».¨.                                          .¨.»;^$£¶#
#@#&@=:--¨                                          ¨--:=@&#@#
#@@&§†»~,,                                          ,,~»†§&@@#
#§%^†«~.¨,                                          ,¨.~«†^%§#
§@†;~.¨,.,                                          ,.,¨.~;†@§
£^\~-,,,..                                          ..,,,-~\^£