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