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