#$%=~,,.,,                                          ,,.,,~=%$#
¤%=»^¨,...                                          ...,¨^»=%¤
$/-~,¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨,~-/$
:-^.¨..¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨..¨.^-:
=~..,¨...¨                                          ¨...¨,..~=
..¨,,.¨.¨.                 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.              ..,.,~*%*#
$*^--,,,.,                                          ,.,,,--^*$
%/~..¨,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,¨..~/%
/»~.¨,¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨,¨.~»/
~-¨¨,.,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,.,¨¨-~
,¨,.¨,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,¨.,¨,
.¨¨..,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,..¨¨.