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