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