¤%†:;~¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨~;:†%¤
@¶£&$*=-..                                          ..-=*$&£¶@
#@@§$*:«-¨                                          ¨-«:*$§@@#
@$†«»~,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,~»«†$@
##££¤§\«,,                                          ,,«\§¤££##
¤=*-~,,.¨¨                 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 .,-^=£@¶@#
§@$=-~^~¨¨ she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ¨¨~^~-=$@§
#£@&$=;».,              throw it away.              ,.»;=$&@£#
¶#¤†%†:=,.                                          .,=:†%†¤#¶
#@¶#@%;«.,                                          ,.«;%@#¶@#
£^-,¨,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,¨,-^£
#§§†/-:-,¨                                          ¨,-:-/†§§#
##£&¤=/-~,                                          ,~-/=¤&£##
§¤:..¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨..:¤§