#&^~=,¨,..                                          ..,¨,=~^&#
@$%-¨,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,¨-%$@
##@&&=^~.,                                          ,.~^=&&@##
#@@&*§†=:.                                          .:=†§*&@@#
##@@$^†».,                                          ,.»†^$@@##
###@*§/».,                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. ¨,,~=%†$@#
@£%†=~,,¨,                                          ,¨,,~=†%£@
@#&*\^,.,¨ my  mom is here now. i ask her for  some ¨,.,^\*&#@
##@¤@*=«~. particle board for  it  to  dry  on, but .~«=*@¤@##
#%%;:¨¨,,. she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to .,,¨¨:;%%#
##@§&%/~:¨              throw it away.              ¨:~/%&§@##
@#£#£%:»^.                                          .^»:%£#£#@
&$§*=~»~,,                                          ,,~»~=*§$&
#£*†*,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,*†*£#
###§§=:=,.                                          .,=:=§§###
##§£**†=..                                          ..=†**£§##
@&#%=...¨,                                          ,¨...=%#&@