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