&%†~:¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨:~†%&
^=-^¨¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨¨^-=^
\«:¨¨.....                                          .....¨¨:«\
=†-.¨¨.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.¨¨.-†=
$§;-^..,¨,                                          ,¨,..^-;§$
@$*:~~¨.¨.                 statuette                .¨.¨~~:*$@
@£&*;«-.,.                                          .,.-«;*&£@
#@@&*†-:¨. £§$&%£@£$%$@¤§&£«»«~«««~¤%£%£&$%*%*%£%** .¨:-†*&@@#
###¤$%/»^.                %$$%&¤@@$                 .^»/%$¤###
##@£§*%\~^                                          ^~\%*§£@##
###¤§†;=:. forests around my  childhood home. thick .:=;†§¤###
@£§%$:~^¨¨ 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.              .,,..,,-~*
%^~,,,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,,,~^%
¤†=~~,.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.,~~=†¤
#¤=;-:¨.,.                                          .,.¨:-;=¤#
##%^\~-¨¨,                                          ,¨¨-~\^%##
#£¤£**«,,¨                                          ¨,,«**£¤£#
#@#&£§\-:¨                                          ¨:-\§£&#@#