¤£*:-,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,-:*£¤
@#*=/~.¨,.                                          .,¨.~/=*#@
#@§&†:»..,                                          ,..»:†&§@#
##£&%^†»^.                                          .^»†^%&£##
@#£%%*=:,,                                          ,,:=*%%£#@
#§£$=»:¨.¨                 statuette                ¨.¨:»=$£§#
£%§;»:¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨:»;§%£
£§=~,.¨.¨. ¤$£@*£%%£*%@%%%£-~»»~~~-¤$£%$*¤*§$£$$%¤% .¨.¨.,~=§£
^/~:.¨¨...                 £@&@$¤£%*                ...¨¨.:~/^
@%=-^,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,^-=%@
&$**-,¨,,, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,,,¨,-**$&
@¤£*;=~.,, pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ,,.~=;*£¤@
##§£*†«.,,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,,.«†*£§##
##@@%*=»-, underneath, sniffing  at the  ground. it ,-»=*%@@##
#£¤%*;~,¨. is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having .¨,~;*%¤£#
@@£^/~,¨., already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,.¨,~/^£@@
@§^=~~¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨~~=^§@
$††~,¨,,.. there's a  river passing  by,  from east ..,,¨,~††$
%/~~¨¨.,¨¨ to west, getting broader and  deeper and ¨¨,.¨¨~~/%
*§\=~,¨..¨ slower as it goes.  equisetum  grow just ¨..¨,~=\§*
§£†*»~.¨,. where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let .,¨.~»*†£§
¶§*$*~-.,. through  light, horsemint on  the  rocky .,.-~*$*§¶
@##@$:»-¨.                river bed.                .¨-»:$@##@
##£§£**«:,                                          ,:«**£§£##
#¶§£*=~~,¨                     ;                    ¨,~~=*£§¶#
#¤%^†-.,..                                          ..,.-†^%¤#
#$==~:¨,.¨ the riverbanks  reek  of magic.  tonight ¨.,¨:~==$#
%%^-~.,¨¨. they had  been a swampworld with  sylvan .¨¨,.~-^%%
*:~.¨..,,. water,  stone rings  and floating  moss. .,,..¨.~:*
$$:-.¨¨,¨, 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.              ¨¨~-*%£¤##
###&&*/»:,                                          ,:»/*&&###
@£@@=\=:,,                                          ,,:=\=@@£@
#§¤^\»~...                                          ...~»\^¤§#
§%*:~,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,~:*%§
$§*~-¨¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨¨-~*§$
*;»-¨..,¨,                                          ,¨,..¨-»;*