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