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