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