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