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