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