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