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