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