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