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