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