@§%%;«..,,                                          ,,..«;%%§@
¤&*;»-,,,.                                          .,,,-»;*&¤
%$\«.,,...                                          ...,,.«\$%
%/~,,¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨,,~/%
;«~,¨,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,¨,~«;
$†~,,.¨¨¨,                 statuette                ,¨¨¨.,,~†$
@=;»,,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,,»;=@
@*$†-:.,¨. %$£%@*&&$¤@$§*%@»~~~»~««@¤***£@£$%£$%&££ .¨,.:-†$*@
#§§†\=:,,¨                £$¤$@$£&&                 ¨,,:=\†§§#
##&%%:=-,¨                                          ¨,-=:%%&##
##@££$:~,, forests around my  childhood home. thick ,,~:$££@##
#@£&^*-:¨, 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.              ¨.¨^=:^%##
§%$^«^.¨.,                                          ,.¨.^«^$%§
&=*».¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨.»*=&
^;~.,.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.,.~;^
^«:¨¨¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨¨¨:«^
$†»:,¨...,                                          ,...¨,:»†$
&=†«~¨,..¨                                          ¨..,¨~«†=&