*§^,.,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,.,^§*
^;....¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨....;^
$*=:,¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨,:=*$
¤@%^,¨¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨¨,^%@¤
@#%§*-¨.,,                                          ,,.¨-*§%#@
#£@£=*,,,,                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 .¨.¨^;$££¶
@@*/:,¨.., she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to ,..¨,:/*@@
&=^:¨,.,.¨              throw it away.              ¨.,.,¨:^=&
^*,,,..,¨¨                                          ¨¨,..,,,*^
@$;:..¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨..:;$@
#**::,.,..                                          ..,.,::**#
¶&$%*-.¨.,                                          ,.¨.-*%$&¶
#£#£§;.,¨.                                          .¨,.;§£#£#
##@#£=;~,¨                                          ¨,~;=£#@##