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