###$*†~,,.                                          .,,~†*$###
###£%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%£###
#@#&=†-,,,                                          ,,,-†=&#@#
#@*^;»^.,¨                                          ¨,.^»;^*@#
#$§:-..¨..                                          ..¨..-:§$#
%=*«^,,,,¨                 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 .,¨:~:%%¶#
##@$%*~~¨.              throw it away.              .¨~~*%$@##
###¶&%:~,.                                          .,~:%&¶###
#@#@$:»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»:$@#@#
@@$%;~,,,,                                          ,,,,~;%$@@
#£^*~,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,~*^£#
&%*~.¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨.~*%&
#&=^--.,¨,                                          ,¨,.--^=&#