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