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