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