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