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