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