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