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