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