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