#@@¤¤*\=,,                                          ,,=\*¤¤@@#
###*=^~..,                                          ,..~^=*###
@¤%§:-....                                          ....-:§%¤@
£$†\=,¨,.,                                          ,.,¨,=\†$£
@$:~^.¨,,,                                          ,,,¨.^~:$@
*^~:.¨..¨.                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 ,,.,»=§&£#
@#¤@$^~.¨. she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to .¨.~^$@¤#@
##@#$†;»:,              throw it away.              ,:»;†$#@##
#@§%$†»~¨¨                                          ¨¨~»†$%§@#
¶§%*;-,.¨.                                          .¨.,-;*%§¶
£%^\=.,...                                          ...,.=\^%£
£^;«-¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨-«;^£
%*«..,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,..«*%
=«-,,.¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨.,,-«=