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