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