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