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