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