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