@***~,¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨,~***@
$$/=-¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨-=/$$
==~-,¨,..,                                          ,..,¨,-~==
*»..,¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨,..»*
*=--¨,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,¨--=*
%%=~^.¨¨,,                 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 ¨,.,»=†&¤¶
#%$;-...,¨              throw it away.              ¨,...-;$%#
£§*=-¨,.,¨                                          ¨,.,¨-=*§£
*=-,,.¨.,,                                          ,,.¨.,,-=*
=~-,..,,,¨                                          ¨,,,..,-~=
†*~,¨¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨¨,~*†
£=†-.,,,,.                                          .,,,,.-†=£
££%;-,¨,.,                                          ,.,¨,-;%££