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