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