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