.&,¨,§.§¨.                                          #.§,££¨¤¨§
@£,,@#£@.£                                          &££&¨¤££@¤
.¤¨@..,§§¨                                          .,,@@.,.,.
#@@£..#.£¨                                          .¨@.£¨,..¨
¨¨¨#.£@£¤,                                          ,@@@&¨,¨,@
¨,@§&.,¨##                 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.              ,..¨§£,,,¤
.@¤.#&,.##                                          ,,.@,£,¨#.
£¨§§,&,¤¨.                                          ,,&¤¤@¨@@.
&§¨§£££§,.                                          .§.¨¨¤£¨£#
¨&£¨,¨.@¨,                                          &&¨.§.#£¨.
@,&,¨.&¤.#                                          ¨@.@@#.§¨¨
@&&,.£¨#@,                                          ¤@§¨,#&@,#