@¶¤%^/»,,¨                                          ¨,,»/^%¤¶@
@#£*/»:¨.¨                                          ¨.¨:»/*£#@
§£%/»,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,»/%£§
*%*-:,,.¨,                                          ,¨.,,:-*%*
%\~:..,,,.                                          .,,,..:~\%
$%*-.¨,¨¨.                 statuette                .¨¨,¨.-*%$
§%==»~,,¨,                                          ,¨,,~»==%§
#&§=†=,.¨¨ **&§%$%@£&§&%%@$««~~»=-=$£&%%¤%%££%¤¤@§* ¨¨.,=†=§&#
@#¤*†;=-..                 %&$$£@$%%                ..-=;†*¤#@
##@@£^/~,.                                          .,~/^£@@##
#£&§=;«-¨¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨¨-«;=§&£#
#£¤%\~:¨,, pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ,,¨:~\%¤£#
#£$;-,¨.,¨       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.              .,¨.,«^*§§
@=;«..¨,..                                          ..,¨..«;=@
%;~^,¨.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.¨,^~;%
£$:«,.,.,¨                                          ¨,.,.,«:$£
§%$†«,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,«†$%§
¶@¤*:=.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.=:*¤@¶
##@*†*»,.,                                          ,.,»*†*@##