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