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