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