£$%;-^..¨,                                          ,¨..^-;%$£
$%=-.,.,,,                                          ,,,.,.-=%$
%:-~,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,~-:%
/«-.,.¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨.,.-«/
-,¨¨,...,¨                                          ¨,...,¨¨,-
,¨...,.¨.,                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.              ¨.¨,...,,,
.,¨.¨.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.¨.¨,.
,,¨,¨,.,,.                                          .,,.,¨,¨,,
.¨,¨.¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨.¨,¨.
.,.¨¨.,¨..                                          ..¨,.¨¨.,.
...¨,.¨..,                                          ,..¨.,¨...
~,¨...,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,...¨,~