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