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