#££=*»:,¨¨                                          ¨¨,:»*=££#
#§§†«-¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨-«†§§#
§*:»,.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.,»:*§
*\»~.¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨.~»\*
\«:.,,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,,.:«\
»:..,..,¨,                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.              ,¨.,~^%*¶#
@¤=†«:...¨                                          ¨...:«†=¤@
£§/=:..¨.¨                                          ¨.¨..:=/§£
^*»-¨¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨¨-»*^
^~^.¨¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨¨.^~^
=^,¨.,.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.,.¨,^=
-¨,,..¨...                                          ...¨..,,¨-