¤*%†=:,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,:=†%*¤
£*=~,.¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨.,~=*£
†^«^,,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,,^«^†
:=~¨¨..¨,¨                                          ¨,¨..¨¨~=:
%†~,¨,¨,,.                                          .,,¨,¨,~†%
£===,,,,¨¨                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 .¨,,~^%*¤@
&*$;~.¨.,.              throw it away.              .,.¨.~;$*&
*§:=,,,,..                                          ..,,,,=:§*
§:~^,.¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨.,^~:§
;~,,,,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,,,,~;
=:=,,.¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨.,,=:=
$**=^,¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨,^=**$
&£%;»:,,,.                                          .,,,:»;%£&