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