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