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