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