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