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