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