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