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