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