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