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