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