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