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