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