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