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