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