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