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