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