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