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