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