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