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