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