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