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