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