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