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