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