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