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