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