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