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