#¶@%;-,¨,.                                          .,¨,-;%@¶#
¶§=/~..¨¨.                                          .¨¨..~/=§¶
§†*~~.....                                          .....~~*†§
*;-^¨,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,¨^-;*
:~^¨.,.¨..                                          ..¨.,.¨^~:
~:.¨,.,¨,¨                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.              ..,¨¨,...,
,..¨¨,.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.,¨¨..,
¨.,¨..¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨..¨,.¨
.,¨¨¨,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,¨¨¨,.
¨¨.....,.,                                          ,.,.....¨¨
¨¨,,.¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨.,,¨¨
~.¨¨.,¨,..                                          ..,¨,.¨¨.~