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