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