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