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