##@#§§*=:¨                                          ¨:=*§§#@##
#@@@%=*-~,                                          ,~-*=%@@@#
@%*--,,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,,--*%@
##£#*$/-:,                                          ,:-/$*#£##
££†=,,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,,=†££
@#$§/=~,¨¨                 statuette                ¨¨,~=/§$#@
§%-«-:,¨,,                                          ,,¨,:-«-%§
###££%;~,. %*%@&%£*%&££¤§*¤«~~«»«~=**%$££$£**&¤£¤£% .,~;%££###
@£@£§=:=~¨                 £§§£@$¤¤$                ¨~=:=§£@£@
#@@&@%=»:,                                          ,:»=%@&@@#
##$$;;,..¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨..,;;$$##
@§$;«,¨.,, pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ,,.¨,«;$§@
##¶¤$%*~,.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .,~*%$¤¶##
##£/--.,,. 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.              ,.~/=§&¶##
¤*$~-^¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨^-~$*¤
#&¤%†«»¨¨.                                          .¨¨»«†%¤&#
#@#££=/»,.                                          .,»/=££#@#
##@¤@^;=:¨                                          ¨:=;^@¤@##
###¶@§;~,,                                          ,,~;§@¶###
#@@¤£§^«:¨                                          ¨:«^§£¤@@#