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