#@¤$:«^¨.¨                                          ¨.¨^«:$¤@#
¶¤%*-,,,.,                                          ,.,,,-*%¤¶
&$/~^,¨..,                                          ,..¨,^~/$&
%^»~¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨~»^%
%$=»-,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,-»=$%
#$*:-~¨¨¨¨                 statuette                ¨¨¨¨~-:*$#
#@§†:-,.,¨                                          ¨,.,-:†§@#
##£¤*;«.., $*@%$§%*£$$££¤*§~««=»»=-£@$££%$%%%¤@¤@@* ,..«;*¤£##
###£$†:~,,                 £¤§¤&£$$%                ,,~:†$£###
###*=/~:,¨                                          ¨,:~/=*###
#@£*^«-¨,, forests around my  childhood home. thick ,,¨-«^*£@#
¶$**-,,,.. 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.              ¨¨..,~~/%*
^=~..¨...,                                          ,...¨..~=^
$^;-^¨,,,,                                          ,,,,¨^-;^$
@§^†~^,,,¨                                          ¨,,,^~†^§@
##£†:~,¨,.                                          .,¨,~:†£##
###$%;»,,,                                          ,,,»;%$###
####&=†=:,                                          ,:=†=&####