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