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