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