¶#£§$^†«.¨                                          ¨.«†^$§£#¶
@#£££%^«.¨                                          ¨.«^%£££#@
##@&£†*«,¨                                          ¨,«*†£&@##
£$§=,,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,,=§$£
##@££%†~-.                                          .-~†%££@##
#£=»««¨,.¨                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 .-~**§£$&#
@££=~.¨,.¨ she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ¨.,¨.~=££@
#@¤/,.¨¨,.              throw it away.              .,¨¨.,/¤@#
#§&%§\-~^.                                          .^~-\§%&§#
#*^^^~,,.¨                                          ¨.,,~^^^*#
##@@§*:=:¨                                          ¨:=:*§@@##
##@†~,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,~†@##
#$;*:...¨.                                          .¨...:*;$#
@@#¤$%*=,¨                                          ¨,=*%$¤#@@