###¤§%\-~,                                          ,~-\%§¤###
@##&†^«,..                                          ..,«^†&##@
#¤$*/~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~/*$¤#
@££§§=~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~=§§££@
##@§@$;=:.                                          .:=;$@§@##
@#@%*=«^¨.                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 .^~=%$&£@#
@£#@*†»-,¨ on   her  stomach,  feet   in  the  air, ¨,-»†*@#£@
¶¤§%†«.¨..   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ..¨.«†%§¤¶
@¶££%†-,.¨ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ¨.,-†%££¶@
##¶&¤†;«.¨                                          ¨.«;†¤&¶##
#@¤£*\«,., my mom is here now.  i ask  her for some ,.,«\*£¤@#
@££*\«~,., particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but ,.,~«\*££@
@#£*§\~,.¨ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ¨.,~\§*£#@
####&*†»,¨              throw it away.              ¨,»†*&####
#@£@$:--,.                                          .,--:$@£@#
#&§*\»:,,.                                          .,,:»\*§&#
#@§$*=-^,,                                          ,,^-=*$§@#
#@£#*%=~~.                                          .~~=%*#£@#
#£@¤†^~~,¨                                          ¨,~~^†¤@£#
£&%†/=-,.,                                          ,.,-=/†%&£