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