¤*^:,.,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,.,:^*¤
#£^†~.,,.,                                          ,.,,.~†^£#
#¤&*†,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,†*&¤#
##@%=*,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,*=%@##
#@@¤%$\~.¨                                          ¨.~\$%¤@@#
##@£¤@§=:¨                 statuette                ¨:=§@¤£@##
##£&%%=-.¨                                          ¨.-=%%&£##
@£&*$†,.., §%$§%&$£££$$$&*%==«~«~==££¤*$£$£%£&¤*$¤% ,..,†$*&£@
£¤***,.,,,                 $¤$£¤%&@§                ,,,.,***¤£
¤$%\:.¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨.:\%$¤
§**.¨,¨.¨¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨¨.¨,¨.**§
$†,¨.¨,,., pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ,.,,¨.¨,†$
;,.¨¨¨¨,¨.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .¨,¨¨¨¨.,;
*†:.¨¨..¨, underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ,¨..¨¨.:†*
%%†.¨¨,,,. is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having .,,,¨¨.†%%
@§=/,¨.¨¨¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨¨¨.¨,/=§@
#¤&*†~¨,..                                          ..,¨~†*&¤#
#¶&¤%^:..¨ there's  a river  passing  by, from east ¨..:^%¤&¶#
###£§**.., to west, getting broader and  deeper and ,..**§£###
###¶@£%†,, slower as  it  goes. equisetum grow just ,,†%£@¶###
#@#§$**.¨¨ where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let ¨¨.**$§#@#
##&$$^,,,¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨~†**£
¶&$=†.¨¨¨.              throw it away.              .¨¨¨.†=$&¶
@¶&§==,..,                                          ,..,==§&¶@
##@§§%*~..                                          ..~*%§§@##
####¤@††,,                                          ,,††@¤####
#@@££%/~,.                                          .,~/%££@@#
#@£@*^-.,¨                                          ¨,.-^*@£@#
#¤¤†::.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.::†¤¤#