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