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