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