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