###%§*-.¨.                                          .¨.-*§%###
#@£%†~..,,                                          ,,..~†%£@#
¶$==-~.¨,.                                          .,¨.~-==$¶
*=\»-,.,,,                                          ,,,.,-»\=*
%=~-..,.,¨                                          ¨,.,..-~=%
:-^,..,,,,                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.                ¨,^«\^$@##
#@%%=-^,,,                                          ,,,^-=%%@#
#£†/»..¨.. then   i  run   east  toward   my  home. ..¨..»/†£#
£†*-,,¨.,,                                          ,,.¨,,-*†£
%^»:¨,,¨,,                     /                    ,,¨,,¨:»^%
;«,¨¨¨,,,,                                          ,,,,¨¨¨,«;
«,.,¨.¨¨,¨ i am  not followed, and slow down in the ¨,¨¨.¨,.,«
:¨,¨,,¨¨¨, clearing  where  you at first  can  spot ,¨¨¨,,¨,¨:
,.,,.¨,,¨¨ the  house,  not   yet  really  in   the ¨¨,,¨.,,.,
,,¨,¨.,¨.¨ backyard. from  my pockets i retrieve my ¨.¨,.¨,¨,,
....¨.,.¨, radio  (now  dented)  but also  a  small ,¨.,.¨....
.¨,.¨,¨.¨. clay figure i've  never seen before.  it .¨.¨,¨.,¨.
.,,,¨,¨,,¨ must have been laying  in the  wet dirt, ¨,,¨,¨,,,.
¨¨.,.,¨,¨. and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my .¨,¨,.,.¨¨
¨,,.,,¨,¨,            other belongings.             ,¨,¨,,.,,¨
-,¨,.¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨.,¨,-
~.,,,,,.,, it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ,,.,,,,,.~
^~,¨¨.,,,. on  her  stomach,  feet   in   the  air, .,,,.¨¨,~^
**~-¨,,..,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,..,,¨-~**
@†=«^,.,,. freshly  made, not yet completely dried. .,,.,^«=†@
@%*\».,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.»\*%@
@#%§=~:,¨, my mom is here  now. i ask her for  some ,¨,:~=§%#@
#@££%/»,.¨ particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but ¨.,»/%££@#
##@££§;»,. she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to .,»;§££@##
###*^;=.¨,              throw it away.              ,¨.=;^*###
#£$§*~-,,.                                          .,,-~*§$£#
#*==~^,¨.,                                          ,.¨,^~==*#
$†:»^.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.^»:†$
$*-,.¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨.,-*$
:~:¨.,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,.¨:~:
~,¨¨.....¨                                          ¨.....¨¨,~