##¶@£$;=,¨                                          ¨,=;$£@¶##
#%****=».¨                                          ¨.»=****%#
####%†=-..                                          ..-=†%####
###&$$\-..                                          ..-\$$&###
###§¤^/»,.                                          .,»/^¤§###
¤§%*~,¨¨,,                 statuette                ,,¨¨,~*%§¤
##¤^~¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨~^¤##
#&^~¨¨¨,¨, &%*$%£*§%@$$£&$*~~~~-~-~$%*@$$@%@§§§%%£§ ,¨,¨¨¨~^&#
##@§%$=«.,                ¤%&£%%£*$                 ,.«=$%§@##
@§*~^^,¨,.                                          .,¨,^^~*§@
##%=:..,,. forests around my childhood home.  thick .,,..:=%##
§$=$^~¨.,. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and .,.¨~^$=$§
§£$†;,-,,¨      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.              ¨,**$¤¶###
§=%^/~¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨~/^%=§
#¤*$«.¨.,.                                          .,.¨.«$*¤#
#@£¤£*=--,                                          ,--=*£¤£@#
#@@&*%^~-¨                                          ¨-~^%*&@@#
##@¤%%:-,¨                                          ¨,-:%%¤@##
###@¤*:~,.                                          .,~:*¤@###