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