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