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