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