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