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