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