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