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