##£&@%=~~,                                          ,~~=%@&£##
&@££=«¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨«=££@&
##@@@%:-:,                                          ,:-:%@@@##
##@#&$†--,                                          ,--†$&#@##
@#§**^~.¨.                                          .¨.~^**§#@
£%*=«-¨¨,.                 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 ,,,.,^~%¤#
##£$\,..,¨ on  her  stomach,  feet   in   the  air, ¨,..,\$£##
##¶§@†/~,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,~/†@§¶##
#@¤\.,,-^. freshly made, not  yet completely dried. .^-,,.\¤@#
£%:†=:¨,.,                                          ,.,¨:=†:%£
###@¤%;».¨ my  mom is here now. i ask her  for some ¨.»;%¤@###
####%†^=:. particle  board  for it to  dry  on, but .:=^†%####
##@§@=\-~. she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to .~-\=@§@##
@@££&^†~:,              throw it away.              ,:~†^&££@@
¶#§\-.¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨.-\§#¶
@£%†-~,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,~-†%£@
#¤$\~,.,..                                          ..,.,~\$¤#
###¶£^/=,.                                          .,=/^£¶###
###£§=;~,¨                                          ¨,~;=§£###
#£@@£*†»:.                                          .:»†*£@@£#