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