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