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