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