###¤$$^»-.                                          .-»^$$¤###
¤*=«».,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.»«=*¤
¤#*$/~¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨~/$*#¤
###£%=\~..                                          ..~\=%£###
¶&$††=\=^¨                                          ¨^=\=††$&¶
¤§=~..¨¨,.                 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 .¨¨..,~:£@
##£§£$\~.¨ clearing  where  you at  first  can spot ¨.~\$£§£##
#&†\*«~^,. the   house,  not  yet  really  in   the .,^~«*\†&#
@@£¤*%:»^¨ backyard. from my pockets i  retrieve my ¨^»:%*¤£@@
@§=;†^.,¨, radio  (now  dented) but  also  a  small ,¨,.^†;=§@
£*/;==~^:¨ clay figure i've never  seen  before. it ¨:^~==;/*£
&=†*:»¨.¨¨ must have been  laying in the  wet dirt, ¨¨.¨»:*†=&
###@@*:»-, and i  must've  picked  it  up  with  my ,-»:*@@###
¤#*%£===^,            other belongings.             ,^===£%*#¤
###&@=;«,,                                          ,,«;=@&###
@#&*-¨.¨., it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked ,.¨.¨-*&#@
@£#*/^,¨.. on  her   stomach,  feet  in   the  air, ..¨,^/*#£@
##£@*§\~,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,~\§*@£##
#@==\~,¨,. freshly made,  not yet completely dried. .,¨,~\==@#
@*@;=-,.,¨                                          ¨,.,-=;@*@
#@@¤¤§=»~. my  mom is here now.  i ask her for some .~»=§¤¤@@#
@^/=-,.¨., particle board  for it to  dry  on,  but ,.¨.,-=/^@
##@££=†«,. she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to .,«†=££@##
###¤¤%=«,¨              throw it away.              ¨,«=%¤¤###
@%%\\;:,¨.                                          .¨,:;\\%%@
£§§**«-~,¨                                          ¨,~-«**§§£
##¶§%**~-.                                          .-~**%§¶##
####@†/=:,                                          ,:=/†@####
@¤$§~««...                                          ...««~§$¤@
###¤$^^~..                                          ..~^^$¤###