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