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