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