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