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