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