#@&¤%^^.¨,                                          ,¨.^^%¤&@#
@&$§\-,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,-\§$&@
##£%$*^,.¨                                          ¨.,^*$%£##
###&@*^~.¨                                          ¨.~^*@&###
##@¶§¤=;^¨                                          ¨^;=¤§¶@##
#@#£$*=,.,                statuette                 ,.,=*$£#@#
##£*=†.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.†=*£##
£@**\-,.¨¨ @$&%$$&£$$££%&%&-~»==«--%%£$%&@§%¤%¤£&¤% ¨¨.,-\**@£
#¶§%=/:,,.                 &¤$$£*%&£                .,,:/=%§¶#
##@#$%:-¨.                                          .¨-:%$#@##
##@@¤¤*/-¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨-/*¤¤@@##
#@#§@*†,.. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ..,†*@§#@#
#@££%^:¨¨¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨¨¨:^%££@#
#@$*;,,.,, underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it ,,.,,;*$@#
@¶£$§/:,.¨ is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having ¨.,:/§$£¶@
###@¤§\.¨, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,¨.\§¤@###
###@§¤§^~.                                          .~^§¤§@###
#@£¤**†,.¨ there's a  river  passing  by, from east ¨.,†**¤£@#
#£&&^:^..¨ to west, getting broader  and deeper and ¨..^:^&&£#
@¤£$/.¨,¨. slower as it goes.  equisetum  grow just .¨,¨./$£¤@
#@§$*=-¨,. where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let .,¨-=*$§@#
##@§£=*~¨. through  light, horsemint  on  the rocky .¨~*=£§@##
####§&%^,¨                river bed.                ¨,^%&§####
##£¤%^†^¨¨                                          ¨¨^†^%¤£##
@¶#¤†^:.,¨                     ^                    ¨,.:^†¤#¶@
#@*=:-¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨-:=*@#
@@£%**~,., the  riverbanks reek  of magic.  tonight ,.,~**%£@@
###@&^=-., they had been  a  swampworld with sylvan ,.-=^&@###
###@§@†*^¨ water,  stone rings and  floating  moss. ¨^*†@§@###
#@#&%$;^., you  could've found me  wallowing around ,.^;$%&#@#
#@@£%^.¨¨, on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,¨¨.^%£@@#
£&$$:,¨..¨                 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.              ¨¨..=*@¤##
¶&&=\,.,.,                                          ,.,.,\=&&¶
@#£§*\-..,                                          ,..-\*§£#@
##@&¤*;~.,                                          ,.~;*¤&@##
##@£@£^=.¨                                          ¨.=^£@£@##
##¶&%^*,¨.                                          .¨,*^%&¶##
@@@£*;.,..                                          ..,.;*£@@@