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