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