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