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