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