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