§£†\»~¨..¨                                          ¨..¨~»\†£§
**;«:.¨..,                                          ,..¨.:«;**
$;=,.,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,.,=;$
$$\=,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,=\$$
¤*§*~:¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨:~*§*¤
@£$*/~^,¨¨                 statuette                ¨¨,^~/*$£@
##@$†/-:..                                          ..:-/†$@##
##@&¤**~^¨ £*¤&$¤@%£$$%¤*§%«=»-«=~-¤%$%%$%@%%§*§$£§ ¨^~**¤&@##
#@£¤†\«~¨.                 £$$@¤£*£$                .¨~«\†¤£@#
#£$%/~,¨.,                                          ,.¨,~/%$£#
#$=^»-.¨¨¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨¨¨.-»^=$#
$†\»,,¨... pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ...¨,,»\†$
$:=.,,..,,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,,..,,.=:$
¤††»-¨.¨,¨ underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ¨,¨.¨-»††¤
££**«,,.¨, is  dark  and  moist, the  canopy having ,¨.,,«**££
#§$$:»,,¨. 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.              ¨..¨.¨,»\%
$*:=:.¨..,                                          ,..¨.:=:*$
¤$%\~:,,¨,                                          ,¨,,:~\%$¤
@&£=/«-.¨¨                                          ¨¨.-«/=£&@
##§¤*;«,¨,                                          ,¨,«;*¤§##
##@§&%:=~,                                          ,~=:%&§@##
#@§£*=~^,.                                          .,^~=*£§@#