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