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