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