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