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