#@@$\=:,,.                                          .,,:=\$@@#
#@#£$==.¨.                                          .¨.==$£#@#
##¶§%$/=-.                                          .-=/$%§¶##
@##*=:»^¨¨                                          ¨¨^»:=*##@
£#¤%=~^¨¨,                                          ,¨¨^~=%¤#£
£§§=~-,..¨                 statuette                ¨..,-~=§§£
£$/».¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨.»/$£
%^«.,.,.¨, &*%£¤%¤%%@£$$$$%~-~~-~=~$$&£%$$£&§%*¤§@¤ ,¨.,.,.«^%
=~-¨¨.,¨.¨                 §$$*$@¤&%                ¨.¨,.¨¨-~=
~-,¨,,¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨,,¨,-~
^¨¨.¨..¨., forests around my childhood home.  thick ,.¨..¨.¨¨^
....,¨¨.., pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,..¨¨,....
¨¨.¨.,,¨¨¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨¨¨,,.¨.¨¨
,¨¨.,¨,,.. underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ..,,¨,.¨¨,
¨,.,,¨.¨., is  dark  and  moist, the canopy  having ,.¨.¨,,.,¨
,,,¨,¨¨,,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,,¨¨,¨,,,
¨¨¨¨,¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨,¨¨¨¨
¨,¨,¨¨.¨., there's  a river  passing by,  from east ,.¨.¨¨,¨,¨
-¨,.¨¨.¨¨¨ to  west, getting broader and deeper and ¨¨¨.¨¨.,¨-
=,,¨¨...,. slower  as it goes. equisetum  grow just .,...¨¨,,=
^~...¨¨..¨ where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let ¨..¨¨...~^
*;=~.,¨¨¨¨ through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky ¨¨¨¨,.~=;*
¤*;»,...¨,                river bed.                ,¨...,»;*¤
§$^\»-,,¨,                                          ,¨,,-»\^$§
@@£=:»,¨.¨                    ^                     ¨.¨,»:=£@@
#@¤§††--.¨                                          ¨.--††§¤@#
##£#£%;-:, the  riverbanks  reek  of magic. tonight ,:-;%£#£##
#@@£$*~,¨, 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.              ,.¨^~\%¤££
#@&$§/~~,,                                          ,,~~/§$&@#
##@#$*/-^,                                          ,^-/*$#@##
#@&$^\~:,,                                          ,,:~\^$&@#
@§£=/~:.¨¨                                          ¨¨.:~/=£§@
¤£%=~~,,..                                          ..,,~~=%£¤
&=†«-,..¨.                                          .¨..,-«†=&