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