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