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