#@#§§%=-.¨                                          ¨.-=%§§#@#
###§%^:-~,                                          ,~-:^%§###
@#£§£*\=,¨                                          ¨,=\*£§£#@
££§%*\^..¨                                          ¨..^\*%§££
@&=*\^.,¨,                                          ,¨,.^\*=&@
####$^†».¨                 statuette                ¨.»†^$####
@†-..,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,..-†@
#¤:^«:^,¨, %£¤$$$@£&@£$%%@£~«~=«~~~£$$*£%£$&**¤$%%£ ,¨,^:«^:¤#
¤§%/*~,,,,                 §%@£££&£%                ,,,,~*/%§¤
#@=:†:.,¨,                                          ,¨,.:†:=@#
##&#@††-,. 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. ¨-~^=@@@@#
&%$†,^,,..                                          ..,,^,†$%&
##@§@$\~:. my mom  is here now. i  ask her for some .:~\$@§@##
#@#&£*†»~. particle board for  it  to dry  on,  but .~»†*£&#@#
¤¤=~¨..,,, she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to ,,,..¨~=¤¤
###££†*»-.              throw it away.              .-»*†££###
#¶¶§£=^~,.                                          .,~^=£§¶¶#
#@##£*/»~¨                                          ¨~»/*£##@#
##@@@=*-..                                          ..-*=@@@##
#@@££†/=,¨                                          ¨,=/†££@@#
###¶§*:»,,                                          ,,»:*§¶###
#@@£@$/»:¨                                          ¨:»/$@£@@#