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