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