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