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