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