¶££%/«,...                                          ...,«/%££¶
##@%%;-:.,                                          ,.:-;%%@##
##@¤&=†«,,                                          ,,«†=&¤@##
#£@¤§;-:..                                          ..:-;§¤@£#
@#§*:=:.¨,                                          ,¨.:=:*§#@
§£$\=~¨¨¨¨                 statuette                ¨¨¨¨~=\$£§
¤†=~~..¨,.                                          .,¨..~~=†¤
^^«,.¨,.., *£&&$§%£¤%%%*@££~~--~~=«¤¤$£$$$&£%%%§£§% ,..,¨.,«^^
\»,,¨,..,¨                 ****&¤$$$                ¨,..,¨,,»\
$=--.¨¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨¨.--=$
§=:=~.¨.,. 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. .,¨¨,,:-=§
=»^¨¨,.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.,¨¨^»=
$\~,¨¨.¨¨. my mom is here now. i ask  her  for some .¨¨.¨¨,~\$
£^=»:.,.¨. particle  board  for  it  to dry on, but .¨.,.:»=^£
&§%=»,.¨¨. she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to .¨¨.,»=%§&
¶#£*:»~¨¨,              throw it away.              ,¨¨~»:*£#¶
#@#*††-.¨,                                          ,¨.-††*#@#
###&*††»,,                                          ,,»††*&###
##¤&*\«~.¨                                          ¨.~«\*&¤##
@¤¤$*~.,.¨                                          ¨.,.~*$¤¤@
¤$§^»-¨,.,                                          ,.,¨-»^§$¤
$†==,¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨,==†$