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