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