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