#@£&$§†-,¨                                          ¨,-†§$&£@#
@@¤§$:=,.¨                                          ¨.,=:$§¤@@
¶£@%/-~...                                          ...~-/%@£¶
£*$\~,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,~\$*£
*$:~,,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,,~:$*
†;=^¨.¨¨¨,                statuette                 ,¨¨¨.¨^=;†
*»~..,¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨,..~»*
†^-.¨¨¨,,¨ %£%*£@%%&$¤¤&$$&==»=~==«@¤£§¤@$*¤$¤¤$¤&% ¨,,¨¨¨.-^†
%=†~,.,,.,                 *%%%§$§*%                ,.,,.,~†=%
§§^;-,¨..,                                          ,..¨,-;^§§
@@$%^=.¨., forests around my childhood  home. thick ,.¨.=^%$@@
#¶§%§;=^.¨ 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.              ¨^»*^*#£##
#@§$%\»:..                                          ..:»\%$§@#
#£$**=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=**$£#
¤&=:=~.,.,                                          ,.,.~=:=&¤
§§=-,,...¨                                          ¨...,,-=§§
%\»,,¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨,,»\%
;-,¨¨¨.,.,                                          ,.,.¨¨¨,-;