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