##§%*\«^¨.                                          .¨^«\*%§##
#¤£$=».¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.»=$£¤#
§£§*-,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,-*§£§
$†;»-,...,                                          ,...,-»;†$
§&*^=~¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨~=^*&§
@#¤†;=^¨.,                 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   ,,¨¨.~/$*#
&=\«..,,¨. freshly made, not  yet completely dried. .¨,,..«\=&
@@%^-,,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,,-^%@@
¶£¤^/=,¨,. my mom is here now. i  ask  her for some .,¨,=/^¤£¶
###&§=~.¨¨ particle  board for  it to  dry on,  but ¨¨.~=§&###
##£@&%\~~. she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to .~~\%&@£##
##&%§=«,,.              throw it away.              .,,«=§%&##
@@£§;«-¨,,                                          ,,¨-«;§£@@
¤$*\~~,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,~~\*$¤
§*;»^,...¨                                          ¨...,^»;*§
#¤$^~,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,~^$¤#
#¤£$†-,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,-†$£¤#
#¶#$§:-:,,                                          ,,:-:§$#¶#