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