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