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