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