#@#&§*/~:.                                          .:~/*§&#@#
@#$^~-,.¨.                                          .¨.,-~^$#@
###@§$;»-,                                          ,-»;$§@###
£§&$^*;~,¨                                          ¨,~;*^$&§£
¶$*~~~=,.,                                          ,.,=~~~*$¶
@£$\\,.,,¨                statuette                 ¨,,.,\\$£@
&§%=*;,..¨                                          ¨..,;*=%§&
@*†»¨,¨¨,. $§¤§&%$¤%§£££%£$«=--=«-»$%*£&@£¤&%$$£$¤@ .,¨¨,¨»†*@
@#£†*».¨¨¨                $$%£$¤@£%                 ¨¨¨.»*†£#@
##@@§@†\-,                                          ,-\†@§@@##
#¶@\«.¨... forests around my  childhood home. thick ...¨.«\@¶#
##@@%*:»,¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨,»:*%@@##
£@¤$§=-...       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.            .:-†%$§¶£#
@*§^=^,.,¨                                          ¨,.,^=^§*@
£@@¤£^\»~, it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked ,~»\^£¤@@£
#£^\=,¨,¨, on  her  stomach,   feet   in  the  air, ,¨,¨,=\^£#
#@¶§*%;~,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,~;%*§¶@#
#¶@#£%^»:¨ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ¨:»^%£#@¶#
#£¤*$=*-.,                                          ,.-*=$*¤£#
##£@£*/~.¨ my mom  is here now. i  ask her for some ¨.~/*£@£##
@#=»¨,,.,¨ particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but ¨,.,,¨»=#@
##%*~~,¨.¨ she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ¨.¨,~~*%##
£¶#£&*:=-,              throw it away.              ,-=:*&£#¶£
@@%;\=/~^.                                          .^~/=\;%@@
###¤@§\=~.                                          .~=\§@¤###
###£#^;«^.                                          .^«;^#£###
##@@§$;~-,                                          ,-~;$§@@##
¶¶$\^,¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨,^\$¶¶
####§†:~:.                                          .:~:†§####