*†*»^¨...¨                                          ¨...¨^»*†*
§¤$^«-¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨-«^$¤§
##$§;-~,,,                                          ,,,~-;§$##
##¤%^/-~,.                                          .,~-/^%¤##
###§&=^»-¨                                          ¨-»^=&§###
##@£*†=~¨¨                 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 ¨.....-=;%
$$/-,¨,¨¨¨ particle board  for  it to  dry  on, but ¨¨¨,¨,-/$$
&§$;«-¨..¨ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ¨..¨-«;$§&
#&$*;~-¨.,              throw it away.              ,.¨-~;*$&#
##£@=*=:.¨                                          ¨.:=*=@£##
###&$%/»^¨                                          ¨^»/%$&###
##££*†«:..                                          ..:«†*££##
#¤@**--.¨,                                          ,¨.--**@¤#
§£^^--,,,,                                          ,,,,--^^£§
£*;=~,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,~=;*£