##§%=~,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,~=%§##
#£§:~-¨..,                                          ,..¨-~:§£#
#££$†»^¨.,                                          ,.¨^»†$££#
#@¶£^\~,.,                                          ,.,~\^£¶@#
###£¤$*~..                                          ..~*$¤£###
#@@$=*«,,.                 statuette                .,,«*=$@@#
##£§:«,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,«:§£##
£&=;-~..,¨ %£$¤@%&£*%&§£££%»-«=»~==£§&*£@%%§%$$$$£§ ¨,..~-;=&£
#@%%*«~.¨.                 §%$$$¤§%&                .¨.~«*%%@#
#@££%†»,,,                                          ,,,»†%££@#
##@@$=:»,, forests around my  childhood home. thick ,,»:=$@@##
##@£*;=:,, 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.              ,¨,:-;*£@#
£$†;«~¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨~«;†$£
@¶£$:»~.,.                                          .,.~»:$£¶@
##@@=:--¨¨                                          ¨¨--:=@@##
####*†;»-¨                                          ¨-»;†*####
#@#£^;=,,,                                          ,,,=;^£#@#
##%†*~^.,.                                          .,.^~*†%##