§†-^,,¨,..                                          ..,¨,,^-†§
&=/«~¨¨...                                          ...¨¨~«/=&
£§$;-~.¨.,                                          ,.¨.~-;$§£
#£¤=\=-...                                          ...-=\=¤£#
##@£††=-..                                          ..-=††£@##
###¤$§==-,                statuette                 ,-==§$¤###
#@¤§†/«,¨,                                          ,¨,«/†§¤@#
@@£§\«.¨., @%§*£¤&@@¤@$@£@@=»««~»=~*%&@££§%$*£%$£%& ,.¨.«\§£@@
@£=\«...¨,                 ¤&£$¤$&$¤                ,¨...«\=£@
%$*-~..,¨¨                                          ¨¨,..~-*$%
%*-,.¨,¨,. 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. ¨,.,-:%*§#
¤$^^=:.,¨,                                          ,¨,.:=^^$¤
*$\»,¨,,.. my mom is  here now.  i ask her for some ..,,¨,»\$*
%*--¨....¨ particle  board for it  to  dry  on, but ¨....¨--*%
/-.¨¨.¨,.¨ she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ¨.,¨.¨¨.-/
†*-~.,....              throw it away.              ....,.~-*†
*=\»~.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.~»\=*
§$*\=^¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨^=\*$§
#£&§*~,¨,,                                          ,,¨,~*§&£#
##@%=†-,,,                                          ,,,-†=%@##
####@§^=-,                                          ,-=^§@####
#@§$§:-:.¨                                          ¨.:-:§$§@#