@£#¤%%^~,,                                          ,,~^%%¤#£@
##@&%%;-.,                                          ,.-;%%&@##
##¶@***~-,                                          ,-~***@¶##
@#%*†^..¨,                                          ,¨..^†*%#@
£%^~^,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,^~^%£
£@#$^~~...                statuette                 ...~~^$#@£
¶#£§@*=»,¨                                          ¨,»=*@§£#¶
#@@@§†*«,¨ @%£¤§£$§¤$%&£%£%-»-«««~«%%£§§£%@%$¤¤&$§£ ¨,«*†§@@@#
##£¤§*=-^.                 £$&%%@%@%                .^-=*§¤£##
##@§§%;~^¨                                          ¨^~;%§§@##
##@&¤%^~,. forests around  my childhood home. thick .,~^%¤&@##
£%%%~^,.¨, pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,¨.,^~%%%£
#@£@£§=»^.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .^»=§£@£@#
¶%=~-.¨,,¨ underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it ¨,,¨.-~=%¶
@¤**§=\»., is  dark and  moist,  the  canopy having ,.»\=§**¤@
@##@@*^-,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,-^*@@##@
@&£\«,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,«\£&@
##@&$*/=^¨ 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 .,~^†$&@##
§§§:«,,,¨. she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to .¨,,,«:§§§
###@§%^«.¨              throw it away.              ¨.«^%§@###
##@£%*:-~.                                          .~-:*%£@##
#@£@*%†»~.                                          .~»†%*@£@#
@&^;»:.,,¨                                          ¨,,.:»;^&@
###§@*/=,¨                                          ¨,=/*@§###
##@¤$=:~,¨                                          ¨,~:=$¤@##
##@@&$^«,¨                                          ¨,«^$&@@##