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