###£$%;~^.                                          .^~;%$£###
##*\-,...,                                          ,...,-\*##
¤%%$~=¨.,,                                          ,,.¨=~$%%¤
####@†=~..                                          ..~=†@####
#@@*=~:^:,                                          ,:^:~=*@@#
#@*%;~.¨.,                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   ¨:~\§$¤@##
###§%=/~,, freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ,,~/=%§###
@&†=-,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,-=†&@
##@#&**~-¨ my mom is here  now. i ask  her for some ¨-~**&#@##
§£=^^§;«,. particle board  for it  to  dry  on, but .,«;§^^=£§
##££§*\-^. she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to .^-\*§££##
£§#§~.,,.¨              throw it away.              ¨.,,.~§#§£
#§££@*†«~.                                          .~«†*@££§#
£#£§£†^-,¨                                          ¨,-^†£§£#£
###&%$†=-¨                                          ¨-=†$%&###
@@¤††.,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,.††¤@@
#£=~».¨...                                          ...¨.»~=£#
###@£†*»-¨                                          ¨-»*†£@###