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