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