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