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