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