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