###@¤$$;:¨                                          ¨:;$$¤@###
##£§$†:,¨.                                          .¨,:†$§£##
#@&%=/..,¨                                          ¨,../=%&@#
¶£*^/^,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,^/^*£¶
§¤†*,¨.,..                                          ..,.¨,*†¤§
$††-,.,.¨.                statuette                 .¨.,.,-††$
^†:,,.,,..                                          ..,,.,,:†^
†...,.¨.., *%*§£¤$@$$$§$&¤$»=~=~~»=&£§%*$*@$¤$$@$$$ ,..¨.,...†
.¨..¨..,,,                 §§££$%¤%%                ,,,..¨..¨.
,¨¨....,,.                                          .,,....¨¨,
.,..¨¨.¨.¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨.¨.¨¨..,.
.,¨...¨¨,, pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,,¨¨...¨,.
,,,,¨,¨.¨¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨¨.¨,¨,,,,
,¨.¨¨.¨¨.. underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it ..¨¨.¨¨.¨,
.¨.¨.,,,,¨ is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having ¨,,,,.¨.¨.
¨,¨,¨¨,¨.¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨.¨,¨¨,¨,¨
,,.,,,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,,,.,,
\:.,,,,¨¨, there's a river passing  by,  from  east ,¨¨,,,,.:\
%†,.,¨¨.,. to west, getting broader and deeper  and .,.¨¨,.,†%
**/~,.¨¨,, slower as it  goes.  equisetum grow just ,,¨¨.,~/**
&£$*,,,.¨¨ 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.              ¨,\**£#@##
#@#@$^:.¨¨                                          ¨¨.:^$@#@#
@##%%^,,¨.                                          .¨,,^%%##@
@&%%^,..,¨                                          ¨,..,^%%&@
£§*\,.,..,                                          ,..,.,\*§£
@%\,¨¨,.¨.                                          .¨.,¨¨,\%@
*/,¨¨¨,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,¨¨¨,/*