###£&*;=.¨                                          ¨.=;*&£###
####¤§*;-:                                          :-;*§¤####
#@#¤£^\~..                                          ..~\^£¤#@#
¤@%\,,¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨,,\%@¤
##**§;~^,.                                          .,^~;§**##
¤§»^^¨,,,¨                 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 ¨^~†%%&@##
¤#$*»--..,              throw it away.              ,..--»*$#¤
#@£\=:,...                                          ...,:=\£@#
£¤†=¨.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.¨=†¤£
###&$^†~,¨                                          ¨,~†^$&###
##@£¤†^=-¨                                          ¨-=^†¤£@##
#%§~¨.,.,,                                          ,,.,.¨~§%#
###£§=†~-¨                                          ¨-~†=§£###