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