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