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