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