#&¤@£†;»..                                          ..»;†£@¤&#
##£@@%†~-.                                          .-~†%@@£##
@##¤§$^=^,                                          ,^=^$§¤##@
##@@§=^=.¨                                          ¨.=^=§@@##
#@£#**†-:¨                                          ¨:-†**#£@#
#@#£$*^~..                 statuette                ..~^*$£#@#
#£=*=~~«~,                                          ,~«~~=*=£#
#§¤$\,~:,. $%$¤££¤§$§@$*££@=~«»~-=«¤@%¤£££%¤$@&$$$@ .,:~,\$¤§#
###§%*^~-,                §%$¤&@*¤§                 ,-~^*%§###
#@#££†\~~¨                                          ¨~~\†££#@#
&£\=,.¨¨.¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨.¨¨.,=\£&
##£#£*\~-. pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and .-~\*£#£##
##¶¤£%†=^.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .^=†%£¤¶##
##&***^~:. underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it .:~^***&##
###@@%;-:. is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having .:-;%@@###
##@%$%=«.¨ 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.              ¨¨.¨~^%@¶#
#¤##%%=«:,                                          ,:«=%%##¤#
###§%†=«.,                                          ,.«=†%§###
#%=^,¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨,^=%#
¤§%*;-,,,.                                          .,,,-;*%§¤
##@¶#$*::.                                          .::*$#¶@##
&=§*^=»,.,                                          ,.,»=^*§=&