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