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