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