@@¤¤=/~^.,                                          ,.^~/=¤¤@@
@§£$:«-¨..                                          ..¨-«:$£§@
§¤**«,,.,.                                          .,.,,«**¤§
£$:«,¨¨¨..                                          ..¨¨¨,«:$£
*^~^¨.,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,.¨^~^*
:~~,..,,.,                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 ¨¨.~\%%@£#
###§£$/=~¨ she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ¨~=/$£§###
@#¤$*;»^¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨^»;*$¤#@
¶¤£%†~:,,.                                          .,,:~†%£¤¶
¤$%†«:,.,.                                          .,.,:«†%$¤
@*:«:,..,,                                          ,,..,:«:*@
=^«,,.,,,.                                          .,,,.,,«^=
==^...¨,.,                                          ,.,¨...^==
»^.¨..¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨..¨.^»