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