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