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