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