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