§%%†=-¨..¨                                          ¨..¨-=†%%§
¶@&%/-,¨.,                                          ,.¨,-/%&@¶
##&£=/=,,¨                                          ¨,,=/=£&##
#@£@**†»,.                                          .,»†**@£@#
##@$§;~..,                                          ,..~;§$@##
##§^*«^,¨,                 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 ,¨.¨¨,.~*=
$%*~,..,,. she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to .,,..,~*%$
&$%:«,,.¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨.,,«:%$&
£#**:~,,¨.                                          .¨,,~:**#£
@@@£^^»^.¨                                          ¨.^»^^£@@@
#@¶@**^«-¨                                          ¨-«^**@¶@#
#@@%§*«,¨,                                          ,¨,«*§%@@#
@#$*=~:¨,¨                                          ¨,¨:~=*$#@
&%%^~,¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨,~^%%&