¤$*:«:...,                                          ,...:«:*$¤
@§¤%†»~.¨,                                          ,¨.~»†%¤§@
###£*^=~¨¨                                          ¨¨~=^*£###
###&$%†»^,                                          ,^»†%$&###
#@@§%\~-.¨                                          ¨.-~\%§@@#
#@$*:=~.,¨                 statuette                ¨,.~=:*$@#
@%%*=:.,¨.                                          .¨,.:=*%%@
@$^«...¨¨. ¤£$£¤£$££*$&$$%$~~~»«~-»$£¤&¤%$$£¤$££$§§ .¨¨...«^$@
%/~.¨..¨.¨                 *%¤§¤%£¤%                ¨.¨..¨.~/%
*%:~,,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,,~:%*
§¤§/~.,,.. forests  around my childhood home. thick ..,,.~/§¤§
##$=^-:,.¨ 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.              ..~=††§¤##
##@&%†/«,¨                                          ¨,«/†%&@##
#@@&*==.,.                                          .,.==*&@@#
#@&%†-.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.-†%&@#
¤%^/~^¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨^~/^%¤
£§=~-.,.,,                                          ,,.,.-~=§£
*/~..,¨...                                          ...¨,..~/*