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