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