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