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