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