^\«^¨¨¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨¨¨^«\^
*«.,¨.,.,.                                          .,.,.¨,.«*
$:=:¨.,,,,                                          ,,,,.¨:=:$
§$†».,,,,.                                          .,,,,.»†$§
#£%=»,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,»=%£#
#££$^-~¨..                statuette                 ..¨~-^$££#
#@#@=*=:..                                          ..:=*=@#@#
##@§&$\=,. §**£*@£%££&@%££$~~»~«~»~$@$$@@&$§£*£&¤%$ .,=\$&§@##
##@&=\».,,                ¤%$%£§&§§                 ,,.»\=&@##
#£$†/=:,¨,                                          ,¨,:=/†$£#
&¤%=«^,¨.¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨.¨,^«=%¤&
$%†«~.,.¨¨ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ¨¨.,.~«†%$
^:»:,,.,..       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ..,.,,:»:^
:-,¨¨,,.¨. underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it .¨.,,¨¨,-:
§^~~.,,¨,¨ is  dark and  moist,  the  canopy having ¨,¨,,.~~^§
*†/=~,,¨., already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,.¨,,~=/†*
£&%\«-,¨..                                          ..¨,-«\%&£
#§£^:»~..¨ there's  a river passing  by, from  east ¨..~»:^£§#
##&%*:»-., to west, getting broader and deeper  and ,.-»:*%&##
##@@&^^«-¨ slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just ¨-«^^&@@##
##£$=^~:,, where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ,,:~^=$£##
@££§*».... through  light,  horsemint  on the rocky ....»*§££@
§¤†\~-.,¨,                river bed.                ,¨,.-~\†¤§
%**=-.¨..,                                          ,..¨.-=**%
†\»,¨,.¨..                    †                     ..¨.,¨,»\†
*»,¨..,,¨,                                          ,¨,,..¨,»*
%:«~¨¨¨,,¨ the riverbanks reek  of  magic.  tonight ¨,,¨¨¨~«:%
$%:~,¨¨,,. they had been  a  swampworld with sylvan .,,¨¨,~:%$
#$$^=-,,¨, 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.              ¨,,..,.«**
^=,,..,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,..,,=^
%†-~¨¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨¨~-†%
@%^~:.....                                          .....:~^%@
@£^^»,¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨,»^^£@
¶£&†^-.,,,                                          ,,,.-^†&£¶
###§§^~:.,                                          ,.:~^§§###