#@@$^^=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=^^$@@#
#§&*:»:.,,                                          ,,.:»:*&§#
§@*:=,..,,                                          ,,..,=:*@§
$%^~.,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,.~^%$
$\-,¨¨,¨,,                                          ,,¨,¨¨,-\$
^»-¨,.¨.¨¨                 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 ,,.-†*£¤#@
¶£¤$=«~,¨, she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ,¨,~«=$¤£¶
¤$*=«~¨¨,.              throw it away.              .,¨¨~«=*$¤
**:-,..¨¨,                                          ,¨¨..,-:**
*/~,.¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨.,~/*
^--¨..,,.,                                          ,.,,..¨--^
$/-^,,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,,^-/$
*^;=:,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,:=;^*
#&*†-,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,-†*&#