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