$=~:,,¨,.,                                          ,.,¨,,:~=$
†»,.¨.¨,,.                                          .,,¨.¨.,»†
=-..,,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,,..-=
.,.¨..,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,..¨.,.
,,¨,...¨,¨                                          ¨,¨...,¨,,
^.,.,,,¨.,                 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.              ,.¨..,^»:=
/«,¨¨,¨..,                                          ,..¨,¨¨,«/
=:¨¨¨.¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨.¨¨¨:=
,.¨,¨¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨¨,¨.,
.,.¨...,,.                                          .,,...¨.,.
-.,...¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨...,.-
»~.¨,,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,,¨.~»