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