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