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