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