¤^=-.,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,.-=^¤
##@@$$\~-¨                                          ¨-~\$$@@##
¤^^-¨,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,¨-^^¤
@##¤*%^~-,                                          ,-~^%*¤##@
##@¶£*:~,.                                          .,~:*£¶@##
###¤@*\-,.                 statuette                .,-\*@¤###
#&=*~«...¨                                          ¨...«~*=&#
£*«^,¨,..¨ §§@&@¤$*&§££%&£§~«~~~»~~§@$*§&*@@¤%£%$%$ ¨..,¨,^«*£
##£&&†^~-.                £§*&§$*£%                 .-~^†&&£##
###£@§;»:¨                                          ¨:»;§@£###
#@£@£=*»,. forests around my  childhood home. thick .,»*=£@£@#
##@§$††-., pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,.-††$§@##
§=/^=»«~,,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,,~«»=^/=§
#@¶¤£%/~-. underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it .-~/%£¤¶@#
£¤¤:/^,.,. is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having .,.,^/:¤¤£
§$£§=*/~,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,~/*=§£$§
##@§@$\~~,                                          ,~~\$@§@##
@£$†«,,..¨ there's a river  passing  by, from  east ¨..,,«†$£@
###@£%=;,¨ to west, getting broader  and deeper and ¨,;=%£@###
#¤$$~¨¨,¨¨ 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.              ¨--;*§§###
§@§$%^=~-¨                                          ¨-~=^%$§@§
##£&£^\-.,                                          ,.-\^£&£##
##¶¤@†/=:¨                                          ¨:=/†@¤¶##
@£\;,.,.¨.                                          .¨.,.,;\£@
###@*†^--,                                          ,--^†*@###
#@@&*%\~,,                                          ,,~\%*&@@#