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