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