#@#§§%\»:.                                          .:»\%§§#@#
###£&%†-^,                                          ,^-†%&£###
##@§£*:»,,                                          ,,»:*£§@##
£#§$*†^¨..                                          ..¨^†*$§#£
£@#%*:¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨:*%#@£
@&==¨.¨¨¨,                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. .,«/†$££@#
§^=...,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,...=^§
§¤§~¨...¨. my mom  is here  now. i ask her for some .¨...¨~§¤§
§&&§-«,,¨. particle board  for  it to  dry on,  but .¨,,«-§&&§
##@¤¤*=»^. she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to .^»=*¤¤@##
£¤†«~.¨,.,              throw it away.              ,.,¨.~«†¤£
#†-^..¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨..^-†#
&§$~,¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨,~$§&
#&£^†:~~-,                                          ,-~~:†^£&#
#@*-,¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨,-*@#
¶£†:=~-,.,                                          ,.,-~=:†£¶
##@@§^:»,,                                          ,,»:^§@@##