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