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