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