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