#@#§%$=~-,                                          ,-~=$%§#@#
##@¤%%/~^,                                          ,^~/%%¤@##
&$=*~¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨~*=$&
####£*†~~¨                                          ¨~~†*£####
@#£@$§†=..                                          ..=†§$@£#@
@*$£§*†=:¨                statuette                 ¨:=†*§£$*@
@&&#%^\-^.                                          .^-\^%#&&@
££@§*^:.¨. ££$*¤&£§§$&£%$&%»«=~»~«=%$$%%@@@@%¤%%£§@ .¨.:^*§@££
##@£&*\«,.                 ££¤*%%@%*                .,«\*&£@##
#@#&¤%*»:.                                          .:»*%¤&#@#
#$-~,~¨¨¨¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨¨¨¨~,~-$#
##¶&$§:«,. pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and .,«:§$&¶##
###¶#@^;-,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,-;^@#¶###
#@#&$=:~,, underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ,,~:=$&#@#
¶¤*,.,¨,.¨ is  dark  and  moist, the canopy  having ¨.,¨,.,*¤¶
@†§==,.,,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,,.,==§†@
###§§$=~,.                                          .,~=$§§###
###££†==:¨ there's a  river passing by,  from  east ¨:==†££###
§##†:*^=~, to west, getting broader and  deeper and ,~=^*:†##§
#@*:\:¨¨¨¨ slower as it  goes. equisetum  grow just ¨¨¨¨:\:*@#
#@#££=:=^¨ where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let ¨^=:=££#@#
§%=»«,¨... through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky ...¨,«»=%§
§§†~..,.¨.                river bed.                .¨.,..~†§§
&&%«..¨¨..                                          ..¨¨..«%&&
££†-~.¨..,                    :                     ,..¨.~-†££
@£§-::,¨..                                          ..¨,::-§£@
#£¤@£§\=-. the riverbanks  reek  of magic.  tonight .-=\§£@¤£#
¶%¤%^:~,.¨ they had been  a swampworld  with sylvan ¨.,~:^%¤%¶
#@@$;,:.,, water,  stone  rings  and floating moss. ,,.:,;$@@#
@@&^^*†«-, you  could've found me wallowing  around ,-«†*^^&@@
###&£%*~., on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,.~*%£&###
#¶&#$%^»..                 bitten.                  ..»^%$#&¶#
@¶#@&^\=,,                                          ,,=\^&@#¶@
##¶£$=^=,¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨,=^=$£¶##
##&£%\~¨,, ground, in shoulder-high  grass, with an ,,¨~\%£&##
###@§*:-^¨ orange   tin  radio  and  a  translucent ¨^-:*§@###
@#¤$\†/»,,      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ,,»/†\$¤#@
##¶&*=\~,¨                                          ¨,~\=*&¶##
##¶&£§*«.,                     \                    ,.«*§£&¶##
###@$$=~,.                                          .,~=$$@###
£@¤§&%=-~, 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.              ¨¨..-%*§#@
##@§&**«~¨                                          ¨~«**&§@##
##@§¤§^~~,                                          ,~~^§¤§@##
@&***=†=,,                                          ,,=†=***&@
##@¶£§%=:,                                          ,:=%§£¶@##
###@@=*«,,                                          ,,«*=@@###
§=*~-..¨,,                                          ,,¨..-~*=§