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