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