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